The Life and Times of Hot Ice Hilda
by Al Kristopher
Summary: This story is a complete biography dedicated to one of the sexiest, strongest, coolest and sadly, most unsung characters ever, Hot Ice Hilda! What was her past like? How did she become an outlaw? And why is she searching for the XGP?
1. Birth Day

Author's note: I don't see too many tasteful stories out there with Hilda in them, and I have yet to see one with her as the main character. I cannot accept this! Since she's so pivotal to the story, and since she really didn't get a whole lot of star time to herself, I decided to undergo the daunting task of writing out a theory of what her life might have been like, from birth to her appearance on Outlaw Star. Since she's a free outlaw, Hilda (and Outlaw Star) doesn't belong to me.

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The Life and Times of Hot Ice Hilda

By Al Kristopher

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This story is dedicated to Tabitha Jay Burton, who is like the big sister I never had.

Part One: Clotho

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Chapter One: Birth Day

When a man and a woman join together in marriage, it is said that they become one flesh. This is true, but for some people, this meaning is more significant to them than others. For some people, the vows of "til death do us part" are very real and very serious, and to those people, the best of what life has to offer is given to them--along with the worst. Take one man who will remain anonymous. From this moment onward, his name will be Klaus, Klaus Fenril.

While attending a school for business, Klaus Fenril met a woman who will also be anonymous. Her name, from this point onward, will be Jill, Jill White. Klaus Fenril and Jill White met in a college that tutored business to its students, and they grew together in love, as many men and women do. They married after graduation day, and took the vows of "til death do us part" quite seriously. Klaus and Jill even shed blood over the pact, so dedicated were they to the wedding.

Five years passed for Klaus and Jill Fenril. In this span of time, they grew to love each other, and they grew to argue as all couples do. They made love on romantic starry nights, and had verbal battles over the bills and mortgages. They seduced each other and shunned each other, they went on exotic vacations and grew headaches from managing a difficult budget, and they stayed together until death parted them.

A night of lovemaking produced pregnancy in the Fenrils, and so for the usual gestation period of nine months, Klaus Fenril had to live inside of a home with an angel and a devil. Jill White Fenril the angel was a gorgeous woman, bright as the sun, and giddy over the prospect of becoming a mother; however, Jill White Fenril the devil was a raging tornado of mood swings, bizarre appetites, hormonal imbalances, and a weak self-esteem. It was nine months of Paradise for the fortunate Klaus, and nine months of Punishment for the unfortunate man. In short, it was just a normal pregnancy.

The nine months passed as all periods of time do, in a slow but ever-constant motion. The months then transformed into weeks, which like the contractions that Jill was having, were becoming longer and more fierce as time went on. The weeks turned to days, and on one particular cloudy afternoon, the days became dreadful, long hours.

Jill was ready--or, to be more precise, the baby was ready. Klaus, trying to keep his head above it all, took her to the most reliable hospital in their vicinity. Along the way, he sang comforting songs, and allowed his wife to scream to her heart's content. When they arrived, a team of good doctors took over the helm, and like a ballet, they swept Jill into a bed and began their duty.

Klaus, in the meantime, gave his whole heart and strength in support, and the ancient drugs used took off a little more pain. Jill, in the eyes of her husband, never looked more serene or lovely than she was now, even though her face was covered in perspiration and her mouth emitted out shrieks. She was both angel and devil in one, and despite her occasional cursing, Klaus loved her very much.

Many hours passed, but at long last, the very first junior Fenril came into the world, wailing as all babies did. Doctors took the infant in their arms, and Klaus performed the operation that all fathers do after pregnancy. The young one, a boy, was then washed and cleaned and delivered to Klaus. They did not give the boy to his mother, for she was still in labor.

A second child came into the world ten minutes later, the boy's twin. This child wailed as well as it was brought into the cold hospital room, and Klaus performed the operation again. He was now the father of a beautiful set of twins: the eldest, his son, he named Joshua Horace Fenril. The younger, his daughter, he named Hilda Maye Fenril.

Marriage vows took a grave turn that day. Even as two new lives entered into the world, one was taken from it. Because of such pain she experienced during childbirth, Jill White Fenril died, leaving her husband a widower and a new father all in the same day. The two babies, the twins Joshua and Hilda, never got the chance to know who their mother was: they never knew her favorite song, or her best cooking, or how she sounded, and what her touch felt like. They would never be able to see her smile, or yell at them for a mistake. Never would they know what sort of hopes and dreams she had for them, and what she had dreamed of doing in the future.

And so, on the fourteenth day of October, in a year unknown, Hilda was born.


	2. Pathos

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Chapter Two: Pathos

Two wailing babies summed up the feelings of those who were attending the funeral of Jill White Fenril. Darkness and depression hung high in the blasphemous blue sky as dozens of mourners passed by her casket. Many cried and wept over her passing, but no one mourned with the passion that Klaus Fenril did, for this had been his wife, and the mother of his twin children.

These children, barely a few weeks old, could do nothing but wail as people paid their last respects to their mother. The pallbearers carried her casket and lowered it into the grave, and with heavy hearts and heavy loads, the diggers slowly began filling the grave up with soil. Jill White Fenril had died giving birth to these two miracles that could do nothing but cry.

The day of the funeral was painfully beautiful. One might have expected to see great clouds of rain hovering over, their contents threatening to spill out. But no, not a cloud in the sky was visible. It was a bright and sunny afternoon, with twittering birds and falling petals and green grass and death in the air. It was, in a way, both just and unjust to have this type of weather during a funeral. Perhaps, though there was no proof of this, Jill wanted things this way.

Klaus slowly returned home after funeral services ended. Aside from the twin babies screaming in his car, not a sound was made. His lips were tight, his throat was dry, and his stomach was sick. Where was he to go now? What was he to do? How would Hilda and Joshua survive without their mother? _Would_ they survive? These questions and more came into Klaus' mind as he drove, but he never came up with an answer.

Slowly, almost cautiously, he stepped outside of his car and opened the door to his house. He carried the twins in, and made sure his car was locked, and made sure the door was locked. He had already lost a wife--he was determined to not lose anything else. Sighing, Klaus placed the babies in their crib, and went about the mechanical process of taking care of them.

He fed them. He bathed them. He changed them. He let them sleep. He comforted them. He kept paying bills that continued to escalate. He fed them. He bathed them. He changed them. He let them sleep. More bills came in. Klaus was given a promotion in his job. He bought new clothes for the babies. He changed them. He fed them. More bills came in. He did not sleep for three whole days.

One year passed. Joshua and Hilda began to grow hair. Like their parents, they both had very, very dark hair, hair as black as the night; as black as the day of their mother's funeral should have been. They began to grow teeth. Words began forming in their mouth. Joshua began to identify his father and basic objects. Hilda started crawling. More bills came in. Klaus grew older.

One more year passed. Joshua and Hilda began to experiment with walking. They were saying more and more words now, or else more difficult ones. Hilda knew who her "daddy" was now. Joshua was graduating from bottle to cup. Diapers came and went like beers in a fraternity. More teeth came in; more bills followed suit. Their hair began to grow more. Klaus grew older still.

One more year passed. Hilda and Joshua became sick. More expensive food was bought. Klaus received another promotion at his job. Nurseries were finding the twins to be an everyday sight. Diapers slowly gave way to clothes. Wobbly steps grew into confident marches. Joshua had his first haircut. Hilda grew more teeth. They still had to be fed, bathed, clothed, taken care of, and comforted when bad dreams happened. Klaus handled both his children alone, and grew another year older.

Joshua and Hilda turned four years old. They were growing, but not fast. Klaus suddenly became ill under the strain of taking care of two children and his job at the same time. Despite his promotions, he never seemed to have enough to take care of the bills. His illness grew worse. A friend took care of the babies while he was in the hospital. He got better a few weeks later, and returned only to find that he had been fired from his job.

One more year passed. Klaus had a relapse, and the friend took the young ones in again. They were just about ready to enter into school. They were starting to learn more and more at home, and could speak almost any simple word. They began eating more and more advanced food. Klaus never returned from the hospital.

Fittingly enough, the funeral that day was dark, dreary, and very cold, as if Nature finally understood the true significance of the event. An unforgiving rain fell down on the mourners, smashing against umbrellas and drenching the land. Klaus Fenril was mourned, respected, buried, and left to be at peace with the afterlife. Joshua and Hilda, the twin orphans who would never really know either of their parents, were taken into an orphanage that very day. They were only five years old at the time.


	3. Dark City

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Chapter Three: Dark City

When Joshua and Hilda Fenril were only five years old, they became orphans. Their mother had died during childbirth; their father passed away after battling stress and sickness. The two, having no immediate family to go to, were taking into an orphanage located in the darkest district of the darkest city of the darkest country of the darkest world.

It was a place where dreams slipped down into stinking sewers and rotted away, a place where thieves and pickpockets were like flies, and the only safety existed in people's thoughts. Many novels describe smoking ruins of urban life, or the seedy dens of crime they produced, and the oppressed people that eked out a living in the dank buildings, coughing and begging their lives away--but perhaps it was more fact than fiction after a few minutes' worth of walking through the lonely streets. It was almost as if Joshua and Hilda had been dragged into those stories again, as the smoke rose up to the sky, blackening out the air.

There were a few creatures slumping about outside the orphanage that probably would have passed as people if they were dressed nicer and smelled better. It was late that day, though, and the local clientele hadn't came out in force just yet, but one could always find a beggar or an ugly prostitute, or even the occasional merchant, trying to sell junk away to the common idiot. What little police force the city could boast was mostly corrupted, and the rest were too overwhelmed with everything else. But the streets were quiet tonight, and the smoke was very bitter, and the electric lights blinking above were years overdue for repairs.

For two young children who had just lost their parents, it was a horrible place. Hell might have been worse, but not by too much. It was here, in this city covered with the blackness of smoke and the emptiness of dead dreams and promises, it was here where people went when they had nothing left but their lives. A normal person living a normal life and on normal wages would never have even looked at it; a bum would sooner sleep in the local dump than live there.

The Dark City was a black whirlwind of empty alleys littered with garbage, and though the streets were quiet, if one listened carefully, one would have heard the screaming of ghosts long since dead. It was a nasty, stinking environment, quite the opposite of what many young children should have been raised in. People only came to the Dark City to waste away and die, not to care about two children who were born ten minutes apart.

The orphanage was somewhat better than the Dark City, but only because there were no acts of extreme violence here, and there were no illegal drugs or police sirens, and it was slightly cleaner and a little more well-illuminated. But those were extremes: the orphanage caretaker was recklessly violent with the young ones, often going to the extend of beating them mercilessly. Sirens still blared to wake the children out of any good dreams, and to say the place was filthy would have been blasphemous. It was also dark, and it stank like a century-old outhouse.

Joshua and Hilda were holding hands when they first came into the orphanage, and their fear was so evident that their faces took the color of milk. The horror in their eyes was as evident as the darkness covering the skies, and no amount of force could pry their tiny fingers apart. From that moment on, Joshua and Hilda would have to stick together, or else die apart from each other.

So, for days on end, they lived inside this orphanage with an abusive caretaker and the sirens and smoke and badly-lit hallways and the stink. The beds were not suited for maggots to release their excrement on, and the holes in the ground that passed as toilets would have made a fly sick to the stomach. Rats outnumbered children, and roaches outnumbered the rats, and of course there were those days when the caretaker was in a _bad_ mood.

But, despite the cesspool of Hell they had been thrust in, Joshua and Hilda stuck together through it all. Because of their birth, they were able to communicate things to each other even in times of silence. When they were allowed to speak with each other, which was not often, they expressed their fears and their hopes to one another, and assured the other that there was a chance that their life would change.

Though they had not been raised to do so, Joshua and Hilda ended each day with a prayer--in fact, they were probably the biggest prayers in the whole orphanage. Many children (with faded hair and dark circles on their eyes from abuse and lack of sleep) followed their precedent, and no harsh words from the caretaker could deter this action. Hilda and Joshua, though different genders, had shared the same puny bed ever since their arrival; in fact, they shared everything.

The sirens that woke Hilda also woke Joshua. When the caretaker began to violently beat Hilda, Joshua stood forth and took many of the blows for his sister. When they ate--or, to be more precise, _if_ they ate--they split the food between themselves. They shared their androgynous clothes and the same worn-out toothbrush, they shared each other's sicknesses and health, and sometimes, if the day had been reasonably good and the night was calm and the children were something close to happy, they would share the same dream.

Joshua and Hilda had been five years old when they came to the orphanage, and they spent five more years in the closest thing they knew to Hell. Their bond, by this time, was so close that if the twins were ever separated, they began to grow ill or wild, and were beaten again. But when they were reunited, they hugged and kissed and held each other and whispered comforting thoughts in the other's ear.

So in the five years they thus spent in the orphanage, Hilda and Joshua grew older. And then, for the first time in a very long while, something _good_ happened to them.


	4. Son of Loki

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Chapter Four: Son of Loki

The two Fenril children were now starting to have discernments in their appearance. Though twins, their genders enabled them to have definite physical characteristics. Joshua, the elder by a mere ten minutes, was starting to grow his hair even longer than his sister's. It was a fine midnight black color, uncombed and uncared for, and it snaked down to his shoulders.

Hilda, on the other hand, kept her hair short but equally as wild as her brother's. Her eyes, unlike her brother's, were a fine topaz color; his had the color of diamonds, and almost looked white. They were both reasonably tall for such a tender age, but their bodies were incredibly thin and strained due to the lack of food and the work they had been submitted to in the orphanage.

Joshua and Hilda Fenril were ten years old by the time something integral happened in their lives. Long since orphaned by the two deaths of their parents, the twins had been in the cesspool of the Dark City for the worst part of five years. However, on one fateful day, a bright shining ray of hope came to the orphanage door--in the form of the famed martial artist, the Ctarl-Ctarl known as Fenrir.

"Siddown and shaddap!!!" barked the orphanage caretaker. His name was Slubgob, and he looked like he had earned that name just by living. The children feared him, especially Joshua and Hilda, for whenever Slubgob was not beating the children, he was either bathing or sleeping. Sometimes he whipped them during eating hours.

As the children obeyed Slubgob's barking words, the caretaker snarled and paced between the children. "You are very fortunate today, maggots!" blurted he. "We're receiving a very famous visitor here in Dark City! None of you deserve to lick the crap on his boots, so thank your lucky stars that he's even bothering to show up!!" The children remained silent, and only Hilda had the gall to call out first.

"Who is he?" she asked. Slubgob snarled but kept his temper.

"A very famous martial artist, the Ctarl-Ctarl Fenrir!"

"Wow, a Ctarl-Ctarl!!" The children could not prevent the gasp of awe that came out of their mouths, but the outburst was quickly quieted by a roar from the caretaker.

"_Shut up!_" roared he. The children covered their mouths in terror, not wanting to be whipped again that day. After seeing their silence, Slubgob snorted and nodded his fleshy head. "All right!" he snorted. "Master Fenrir is coming by in two hours. Don't ask me why somebody so great is wasting his time on little worms like you, so you'd better behave yourselves if you wanna see him!!" The children all nodded their heads, and promised to work extra hard for the next two hours--which is exactly what Slubgob had in mind.

For Joshua and Hilda, two hours normally passed like two years. However, with the dim promise of seeing a Ctarl-Ctarl martial artist visit their orphanage, the two hours passed by like seconds. The filthy orphanage was almost cleaned up to a wasteland of dirt and grime instead of the hellhole it was normally, and after the two hours, Slubgob sauntered outside to greet Fenrir.

Joshua and Hilda, silently observing from their room, took turns looking out the window to watch their guest of honor arrive. They had seen Ctarl-Ctarls before--in fact, two lived right there in the orphanage--but they had never seen the great legendary Fenrir. A wild rumor went about that Fenrir was once an orphan in Dark City as well, which was why he often frequented that place.

"There he is!" shouted Joshua suddenly. He scooted over to let his twin sister see, and together the two Fenril children watched Fenrir enter. He was a very well-built being, even stronger than most normal Ctarl-Ctarls, and had a clear and focused look to his eyes. Unlike the children, Fenrir had a wise and kind look to his face, and his light smile brightened up the blackness of the City. He was also very handsome, noted Hilda, and did not treat Slubgob very well at all.

Fenrir allowed himself inside the building, and despite Slubgob's protests, called the orphans down to the main lobby. As they tumbled down the stairs, Fenrir began to cry. He had left that orphanage ten years ago, or so the rumors said, and could only weep as he saw how everything had degenerated. The children, he noted, looked filthy and wan, and it was painfully obvious that they had neither slept, bathed, nor ate well in ages.

"Slubgob, you are a fiend!" hissed Fenrir. He turned to face the fat caretaker, and growled softly. "How could you let these children waste away like that?! You are no different from when I last left you!!"

"But, M-master Fenrir… I, I'm not funded well…"

"Spare me," sighed the artist, rolling his eyes at the caretaker's excuses. "I know full well that most of the money you're given goes straight to the dice! Whatever's left of that goes to your belly and the bottle, and these poor kids only get scraps!"

"But--"

"_No more excuses_," spat Fenrir. His tail waved threateningly, and probably would have strangled Slubgob if given the chance. Joshua and Hilda hoped that it would. Fenrir sighed, and turned around to address the children. "Kids," he began, "I can do nothing to relieve you of this miserable life you've been subjected to. But, Clan-Chief willing, I will do what I can. How would you all like to be students under me?"

"What!!" The children gasped in glee, and most of the older ones cried joyfully. Being a tutor under a Ctarl-Ctarl fighting master was an exceptional offer, and being the student of Fenrir was even greater still. Many of the children, ignorant of their hunger or exhaustion, scurried forth to hug Fenrir, and Joshua and Hilda were among those.

"Okay, okay," laughed Fenrir. "So that was a stupid question. Well, from this day forward, I promise to give you poor things the only gift I am able to give: a chance to live and survive on your own! You all know how rough the streets of Dark City are, right?"

"Yes, sir!!" chimed about two dozen kids.

"Then learning my style of martial arts will certainly be beneficial. Henceforth, I shall stay in Dark City for five years, teaching you children my ways. How does that sound?" The kids cheered wildly, and instantly forgot all the pain and misery they had been accustomed to. For now, they were presented with a new hope, and a chance to make something out of their lives. In this life, one who cannot defend themselves will often fail.

And so, for the next five years, Fenrir would visit the orphanage and teach the children his way of fighting. He would also volunteer to clean around the place, and when he could, he would visit city officials and complain about Slubgob's miserly ways. His efforts did little good, but were still appreciated by the children.

Joshua soon became one of Fenrir's best pupils. By the time he entered puberty, Joshua had already mastered the basics of Fenrir's training, and Hilda was very near doing the same. Many of the other children at that point were just now getting the hang of fighting, but it seemed as if Joshua had innate abilities.

Hilda, too, proved to be a great student, although she was about one level below her brother. By the time she hit thirteen years old, Hilda's fighting style was growing rapidly, and so were her feminine features. Studying under a famous martial artist also increased her body weight, her health, and her muscle tissue. She was slowly growing into the shoes of a young lady, all the while roughhousing with boys much older than herself.

At fourteen, Joshua and Hilda were quite possibly the best fighters in the orphanage. Whenever Fenrir was not present, they would hold friendly sparring matches, and would push each other to new limits. Oftentimes, the two would take on multiple challengers by themselves, and would win almost every time. Fenrir began to have a tougher and tougher time keeping up with the twins.

During this time of training, the orphanage slowly got a little better. With the help of Fenrir, and a little assistance form the local authorities, Slubgob was imprisoned for misusing the city's money and a new caretaker was introduced. Though no slimmer or wiser than the previous man, this new figure was considerably kinder and much less strict, though was still cruel by any other definition. Next to Slubgob, though, he was a saint.

Hilda and Joshua also were changing. With puberty morphing their bodies away, and the physical sessions with Fenrir, they grew to be very strong and powerful. Joshua was quickly becoming a heartthrob, what with his long black hair, well-build body, mysterious smile, and white eyes. Hilda, too, attracted many young boys to herself. Her dark wild hair was growing thick and longer, and her golden eyes shined forth with a dim but present light. She was starting to become beautiful, and quite strong, and very tough to beat.

So, the years passed, and Joshua and Hilda began growing up into maturity. While training under Fenrir, they were even allowed to attend a school, and though the halls were treacherous, they were not nearly as bad as the orphanage they had grown up in. Unfortunately, during their sixteenth year, Fenrir gave a heartfelt farewell, and graduated many students from his regiment. He embraced his two best students, the Fenril twins, and left the orphanage a little crestfallen. Or course, like a true champion, he promised to return one day to train a new band of eager students.

And so, Joshua and Hilda entered into their sixteenth year. They were still living in the orphanage, so they had not been adopted yet. However, they were strong, and thanks to the school they were attending, they were smart as well. The new caretaker, though much nicer than Slubgob, was still a big pain in the neck, so for the next few years, the Fenril twins would still have troubles.


	5. Hard Times

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Chapter Five: Hard Times

Hilda and Joshua Fenril, though their lives were brightened by the arrival of Fenrir the Ctarl-Ctarl, were still forced to live in the wretched hellhole of an orphanage. Though kindhearted Fenrir tried his absolute best to patch the place up (after all, he had once been an unfortunate orphan living there himself), only God Himself had the abilities necessary to clean up the dump. To put things in perspective, living in a _landfill_ would have been better for the children.

Nights in the Dark City were absolutely the worst. It was almost always either too cold or too hot, and even if the caretakers had bothered to install an air conditioner, it would not have functioned anyway. There were objects that the children were required to sleep on that would never pass as beds in a million years. The sheets were caked with filth and dirt, and sometimes excrement and urine. Beds were so bad that flies strayed away from them, and sleeping on rocks would be more comfortable than on the so-called pillows.

Outside, the violence and the grime of the bleak world permeated the thin walls of the orphanage. Even with Fenrir as their protector, the children still spent many nights shivering in their beds, scared stiff from the horror outside. Crime was as common as the stars, and of course most of the police were corrupted. Joshua and Hilda survived mostly because of their love for each other.

Each night, the twins would kneel down and utter a prayer to a deity--any deity at all, it didn't matter to them. They would have prayed to the devil himself if it would have helped them escape, or at least cope. After their prayers, Joshua and Hilda would crawl into the miserable bed, and despite the horrid living conditions, would snuggle together and fall asleep in each other's warm arms.

In the mornings, they would either wake up to a freezing world that left them clinging onto each other for warmth, or else a steamy and sticky world that reeked of heat and the filth. Daylight almost never penetrated the thick cloud of smog and pollution hovering over the city--hence its name--and when it did, it blinded every citizen and person in the entire city. Morning rituals were nearly nonexistent: brushing teeth, combing hair, bathing, and even a fresh change of clothes were too much of a luxury.

This continued for many years.

Joshua and Hilda were given a chance to attend a local school, courtesy of Fenrir. The famed martial artist, a patron saint of unfortunate children everywhere, provided the money needed to send them off to the school. Though the halls of these educational facilities were indeed ridden with danger, they were heaven when compared to the orphanage where they had been living for most of their lives.

Elementary and middle school passed only too quickly for the twins. They proved to be exceptional students, as well as exceptional fighters. When bullies heard that they were learning under the famous Fenrir, they always backed away. The other orphans all attended the same school, so both Hilda and Joshua grew a sizeable amount of friends in their travels.

Two of their closest friends were the other Ctarl-Ctarls in the orphanage, Tijl and Felona. Though they were different species, the twins and the Ctarls often had on-and-off romantic interests. Both Joshua and Tijl were quite handsome and athletic, though Tijl was considerably more open with his feelings and emotions. Hilda didn't seem to mind at all, and insecure Felona felt lucky to have a nice guy like Joshua to hang around with. Of course there were other friends, mostly human, though on Dark City, one could find almost any species.

When Fenrir left the orphanage to continue his journey, both Hilda and Joshua were fifteen years old each; Tijl and Felona, though not related, were also the same age, so it was little surprise when the four close friends managed to land in the same graduating class. Around the time that Fenrir left, the orphans entered high school, and one of the most turbulent and decisive parts of their life opened up in full bold detail.

Back in their previous grade schools, Joshua and Hilda had proven to be magnificent students. Dispelling any and all rumors that muscle-heads have no brains, the twins also proved good learners. Hilda started taking an increased interest in economics, trade, and business, whilst Joshua leaned more towards the arts and humanities. He was planning to go into politics or construction once he graduated; Hilda was looking to become a fine trader.

And so, the orphans started spreading their wings out further and further. The wings were growing large, and powerful, and one day they would be strong enough to carry the Fenrils off into the sky. Perhaps, sometime in the future, they might have even grown large enough to eclipse the bleak past of the twins. Only the fates knew for certain.

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To be continued…


	6. Scherzo of Smoke and Liquor

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The Life and Times of Hot Ice Hilda

By Al Kristopher

Part Two: Lachesis

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Chapter Six: Scherzo of Smoke and Liquor

"First day of sophomore year…" The Ctarl-Ctarl Tijl sighed, one of his furry arms around Hilda's arms, the other around Felona's. The four of them stared at the building, and couldn't help but become disgusted at its dilapidation. The brick walls were burned black from mud and filth and dirt, and the ivy that snaked down the sides had long ago turned brown. Cigarette butts were everywhere, and even though it was early in the morning, the sky was black with pollution.

"Well, time for the Fighting Four to put in another year of hard studying and hard knocks," sighed Joshua. He was not exaggerating--the four of them had gotten famous in freshman year for being among the smartest, and strongest, students in the whole school. The mere sight of two Ctarl-Ctarls was enough to make any bully run scared, and it that didn't work, the Fenril twins always held a commanding presence.

"It's not gonna be easy," noted Tijl, "but I don't recall it ever saying so in any handbook. Hilda, Felona, you guys ready?"

"As I'll ever be, Teej," replied the young woman. The eldest Ctarl-Ctarl smiled, and ruffled her hair. He was a tall guy, Tijl was, though he hardly stood a head over his companions. He had attractive golden-umber fur all over his body, and an extra mop of orange-and-white hair on his head. Tijl was a friendly sort of guy with an omnipresent smile and a bizarrely human fashion sense. He was one of the orphans that grew up with the Fenril twins, and he and Hilda were currently an item.

As for the other Ctarl-Ctarl, Felona, it was difficult to say whether she truly had the bubbling blood and the swelling pride of her fellow clan members. Unlike 99% of the race, Felona was a very insecure, quiet, and shy girl. She was amazingly brilliant and surprisingly eloquent, but among the four of them she was the weakest. She had wonderful untamed blood-red hair that tumbled freely down past her neck like lava from a volcano, and her eyes were a similar crimson color. Unlike most Ctarls, Felona had stripes around her body, and her prehensile tail was a bristly red. Joshua loved her to death.

"I guess we'd better get started?" suggested Felona. Only around the other three was Felona so open with her feelings and her voice; everywhere else, she was withdrawn and somber. Her spirit was very fragile, and very bright, but she often had to be protected from nasty thugs. Tijl considered her the little sister he never had; Hilda and Joshua often had to copy off of her homework. All in all, the four friends were integral pillars that held up their friendship, and even if one fell, the whole structure would've gone with it.

Sighing, the four friends sat in chairs of their first class. It was biology, not exactly the best way to start the day. Since Hilda preferred economics and Joshua the arts, the twins had to mooch off of Tijl, who just happened to be reaching for the scientific star. Nobody questioned Felona's ability to pass the class; though quiet, shy, and timid, the girl was a genius and a half (_and unquestionably beautiful!_ Joshua had remarked).

The teacher of the class, a weary-looking middle-aged woman well past her prime, wandered into the class and gave a sigh as yet another difficult school year started. The first thing she did was write her name on the board: Ms. Veers. After that, she did something very peculiar: she wrote a great big gigantic number on the board, **81**. After that, she turned around, took roll, and uttered only one thing:

"Class is now over, have a nice day." And, as the students gaped over the nonsensical phrase, she left the class, even going so far as turning the lights off. A thick pause followed, before Hilda snorted and rose from her chair.

"I guess the teach ditched us," she shrugged. Her friends slowly followed her outside the class, and one by one everyone came out from the room to slack off somewhere. Only the Ctarls and the Fenrils remained nearby.

"So, now what?" grumbled Tijl. "That class was a dud, but I've got a feeling that we should come back here tomorrow. I mean, the teacher might get a little mad if we don't show up. Besides, I wanna know why she wrote that number up on the board."

"Agreed," said Joshua. "But, while we're out of class, let's see if we can't scare up some breakfast. The food they had at the orphanage ain't fit to feed flies." The girls and Tijl laughed softly at the joke, and the four friends slowly made their way through the dark crime-infested halls of the school and into the disheveled cafeteria.

The next day, the four friends were the only ones present in the classroom. The teacher came in, but this time there was something different. Whether it was the clothes she wore, the way her hair was, her makeup, or her gait, something was _fresh_ about her. She no longer had the image of a tired middle-aged woman--in fact, she looked anything but. If she hadn't written her name on the board again, the foursome would've thought this was either the wrong room or the wrong teacher.

"I see," uttered the woman. "Just as I thought. Almost nobody here. Well, you four will be rewarded for your attendance. Lesson one, students: always make it your top priority to attend classes. You can't learn if you're not here." Slowly, Ms. Veers passed out a shocking fifty wulongs to each of the students. They eyed the large amount of money with a reasonable measurement of doubt.

"Yes, it's yours," she affirmed. "But from here on out, the lessons you receive will be your own reward. As for my appearance, that's your next lesson. Never be fooled by outer appearance, for what you see and feel may not always be real." The four students nodded their heads solemnly. So far, the lessons that Ms. Veers had nothing to do with biology and everything to do with real life.

"And now," she said, returning to her desk, "your first test. Now I don't want to hear any complaining, you've learned enough from me to have one. There will be one question, and one question only. Get the answer right and you pass. Get it wrong and you fail. Understand?"

"(One question?)" whispered Hilda. "(Doesn't sound like a test.)"

"Oftentimes, Ms. Fenril, a test does not have any questions at all," uttered Ms. Veers eerily. She smiled, and tapped her ears. "I may look like I'm forty-six, but these ears of mine are as sharp as a sword. Lesson number three: loose lips sink ships."

"Right. Sorry, ma'am." Ms. Veers gave another smile, cleared her throat, and asked the make-or-break question.

"The question is, what was the number I wrote on the board yesterday?" The foursome froze right in their seats, and their eyes bugged out of their heads. Was _that_ the whole test? Was that why she wrote that number on the board? The humans and the Ctarls staggered, unable to recall the accursed number. They tried guessing, but as they handed their tests to Ms. Veers, they could tell that they all failed.

"Hm… Ms. Fenril, you put 'forty-two', and Mr. Fenril put 'twenty-nine'. Ms. Felis, you have 'eighty-four' and Mr. Leo put 'sixty-six'. I'm afraid you're all wrong. The number was 'eighty-one', and since nobody got the answer right, everyone fails the test." As Ms. Veers cruelly put a mocking Zero on each paper, the four friends couldn't help but gape in confusion.

"But… Ms. Veers! That's not fair!"

"It's definitely fair, Mr. Fenril. You all took the test, you all realized the consequences of failure, and in your forgetfulness, you have failed yourselves. Lesson number four: Life is fair, whether you believe it or not. And lesson number five: Never forget anything. I hope you all remember these as you take my class." The humans and the Ctarls could only sit and stare at their teacher as she gazed at them emptily.

"Yes, ma'am," sighed Hilda. Ms. Veers smiled warmly.

"Tomorrow, we'll actually start biology. If the four of you are still the only ones here, then you will be privileged by calling me a friend of yours. Our lessons will be much more intimate than this, obviously. Now, I want you to leave this place remembering what I told you. And don't forget anything, no matter how important. Dismissed."

"Weird," mumbled Tijl. Joshua shrugged.

"She had a pretty good point there. We really were unprepared. But at least we'll start a _real_ class tomorrow!!" The four friends smiled warmly, even though the halls of their school stank heavily of smoke and alcohol. Felona, who had remained relatively silent, had taken the liberty of writing down Ms. Veers' lessons for her friends, and each took a copy with them as they went to their individual classes.

__

Lesson #1: Attendance begets experience.

Lesson #2: Never be fooled by outer appearance.

Lesson #3: Loose lips sink ships.

Lesson #4: Life really is fair!

Lesson #5: Never forget anything.

And no matter what path life had to offer for them, the four of them would always hold these five snippets of wisdom close to their hearts. After all, as Ms. Veers knew, they would have to cross over rough waters before reaching the next stage of life. She only hoped that the bridge she had built for them was strong enough.


	7. Gemini Fugue

****

Chapter Seven: Gemini Fugue

Their kiss lasted for a good twenty seconds before Hilda and Tijl broke away.

"Wow," she smiled. "Incredible!"

"Yeah, not bad for a human!" remarked Tijl. She growled and punched him playfully, and his chuckle joined hers as they assaulted each other. Joshua and Felona, carrying crates in their strong arms, couldn't help but sigh as the two of them fought.

"Hey, are you two gonna give us a hand, or are you gonna squabble?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Josh." Hilda smiled and gave her furry boyfriend a shrug. "I guess we'd better help them out, or we'll never hear the end of it." Tijl mirrored her shrug, and followed her into the orphanage. A brief period of time, somewhere around the span of a year, had passed since the group had been initiated into their high school. Now, the four of them were in their second year, and none the worse for wear.

With Hilda and Joshua each lifting a large bed, and Felona carrying a crate full of breakables, the humans and Ctarls prepared for an event that they had been waiting for their whole lives: finally, after a lifetime of misery, they were finally moving out of the orphanage.

The move itself took a lot of time, thought, and consideration. Fenrir had done great deeds for the dump but even his charity couldn't save it; the fact of the matter was that everybody needed to move out. Dark City officials, usually burdened by the grossly high crime rate, finally caved and ordered the orphanage destroyed. The children living there would either be taken to foster homes, or else placed in a trade.

Felona, Hilda, Joshua, and Tijl got stuck in the latter part of the deal, but they didn't complain in the least. Anything was better than living the rest of their lives in that stinking hellhole of a rat-infested dump. Besides, they had been looking forward to having jobs, and with each of their individual skills, they were certain to improve their lives from then on out.

Felona, the brightest of the group, was given the opportunity to enter into the scientific and mathematics fields. The red-headed Ctarl-Ctarl, awfully quiet and shy for her species, spent her time either in study, in school, or with friends, and the change of pace and increase in challenge did wonders to her gentle spirit. Out of all her friends, she would be paid the most--so it was little wonder that she accepted flattery from her friends.

Hilda had taken a keen interest in economics while in school, so along with her boyfriend, she was placed into a legitimate trade guild. Though she would only be an apprentice, she would learn an infinite amount of wisdom from her occupation. As for Tijl, he had more of a mind for negotiation and diplomacy, which was rare in the trade business. With Hilda as his partner--in more than one fashion--the two would probably become an unstoppable force.

Joshua, though physically the strongest in the group (just barely edging out Tijl), really had no outstanding qualities of his own. Because he had no great interest in any defined occupation, he merely took up the ways of the mercenary. While he was not posing as a bodyguard, which was usually his profession, Joshua spent time searching for a house to hold the four friends. It was true that their jobs would provide lodgings temporarily, but the Fenrils and the Ctarls needed a place that all four of them could call home.

"Whew! That's the last of it!" Joshua sighed with relief, and wiped the sweat off his brow. The friends' possessions, which were not as copious as one might think due to their horrible living conditions, had all been packed inside the trunks of two cars. Some time had passed since the quartet became settled in their lines of work, and Joshua's hunting skills paid off when a small but sufficient house was found up for sale.

Smiling gently, Felona walked up to her boyfriend and gave his sweaty face a friendly lick.

"You, ah, need a shower," she remarked. Joshua mumbled sheepishly, and dug his nose inside his armpits for a whiff.

"Whew! Yeah, you're right. But what can I say? You're giving me all the work! And Hildy and Teej are just goofing off."

"We're having hot steamy erotic sex and there's nothing you can do about it," muttered Hilda playfully. Both Joshua and Felona rolled their eyes.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if it were true…"

"Get bent!" blurted Tijl. "Josh, bro, you _know_ I'd never do that to our Hildy--without a ring, that is!!" Hilda flinched and blushed furiously at the mention of jewelry, and her boyfriend winked.

"I would not concern myself with such things right now," murmured Felona. "The work is done and that's that. I propose we leave this filthy place behind and, ah… celebrate, right?"

"For real!" grinned Hilda. "Hey, Josh, remember our promise? The one we made when we were young?"

"You mean what we were gonna do if we ever got out of that dump?" Hilda affirmed his guess. Joshua didn't even need two seconds to recall the oath. "Course' I do! We promised to dance and spit on the orphanage! So what do you wanna do first?"

"Spit, duh," snorted Tijl. "We can dance when we get home."

"Right." Joshua and Tijl each hocked up a wad of spit, and Hilda drummed her knuckles on the car in a militaristic sendoff. With two mighty _ptooies_, a pair of spitballs smacked up against the orphanage walls. The damage would be unnoticeable--after all, the place _was_ scheduled to be destroyed sometime later.

"Bravo, bravo!" cheered Hilda. The girls clapped furiously, and even Felona whistled as her loved ones took a bow. Wordlessly, Hilda prepared her own wad of spit, and in two glorious seconds, a third ball joined the other two.

"Felona? It's your turn." The red-headed Ctarl's face turned as crimson as her eyes, and Joshua gently pushed her to go on.

"Uhhh… I… don't think I should spit on it," murmured the Ctarl. Joshua and Tijl gave her amazed looks.

"Why not? You hate this place to death, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And you've prayed for its destruction ever since you could remember, right?"

"Yeah…"

"And now you're finally free, right?"

"Yeah…"

"So why don't you wanna spit on it?!" A slight pause. Felona's furry face grew very red, and even her stripes seemed to burn. Blushing madly, Felona giggled to herself and tried her best to hide from the group.

"Because," she replied girlishly, "I'm going to, ah… urinate on it."

"You're kidding me!!!!" shouted Joshua. The young men burst out in riotous laughter, and nearly fell over each other guffawing. Even Hilda had thrown her head back in a laughter. Their smiling faces turned white as sheets as Felona actually unzipped her shorts, and Joshua and Tijl hastily looked away (for they had been brought up with strict morals by their few mentors) as their quiet friend performed the ultimate disgrace.

After a short time, Hilda informed her brother and boyfriend that Felona had finished her business, so to speak, and the old orphanage was defiled for good. With Hilda cheering the girl on, Tijl hugged the life out of her and Joshua gave her a brief kiss right on her dainty lips as a reward. Felona blushed furiously, and giggled as her friends dove into their separate automobiles, and prepared to face the rest of life together.

For the first time in their lives, they had a real reason to hope.


	8. Symphony of Love

****

Chapter Eight: Symphony of Love

Hilda was planning on going to prom whether she had a date or not, so logically, she would need a dress. And of course, she needed somebody with her to give an honest evaluation of her ensemble. She could trust neither her brother nor her boyfriend on such matters--no matter what Hilda wore, they would think she was gorgeous. So instead, she sent the two of them on a wild goose chase, and invited Felona to be her critic.

Two more years had passed since the four friends found work, so now they were in their fourth and final year of high school. They were all doing considerably well, given the fact that they all held steady jobs, and a noticeable income was flowing in for them. Prom was only a month away, so Hilda (as all girls do) wanted to prepare herself as fully as possible.

"How about this?" she asked, stepping out of the dressing room. Felona the wise hummed softly, her red tail swaying in the breeze. Hilda had a dark-green dress on which let the shoulders completely bare. It hugged at her body and cut off directly below her hips.

"Pretty," said Felona, "but green is not your color. And it's a little whorish for prom." Hilda grinned and silently dove back into the dressing room. Joshua and Tijl would have both given her wolf whistles.

"How about this?" she asked. Felona tilted her head from side to side. Hilda was wearing an adorable yellowish-orange dress with flowers trailing around it. It broke the traditional prom dress by eliminating cleavage, instead wrapping around her upper chest and even her neck.

"It's adorable!" squealed Felona. "But it says 'casual Sunday picnic' and not 'prom'. Try something a little more daring." Hilda grinned and clicked her tongue.

"…We'll see." Wordlessly, she returned to the dressing room and tried on another dress. Emerging, she wore something that looked like a red kimono with gold lining, but the lower portion was cut like a dress (thus revealing her muscular legs slightly), and it didn't have any sleeves. A chain of cherry blossom petals was embroidered in the fabric.

"Nice!" noted Felona. "Let's see what else we have to work with." Hilda grunted out in irritation, and left to dry on her last dress, a frosty-blue ensemble with hints of flaming-red tickling its edges. It gave Hilda a cool feeling, but the red in it burned her complexion. It was a combination of her previous green dress and the orange one: it hugged her body close and was made out of thicker material, but it left the arms bare and the chest and neck covered.

"Wow!" smiled Felona. "It makes you look hot _and_ cool at the same time! Very chic! Go for it!" Hilda smiled, and went back inside the dressing room one more time to change into her normal clothes. Felona volunteered to store the rejected dresses away, whilst Hilda went and rented the dress of hot ice.

"No frickin' fair!"

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," sighed Tijl. "I know how much you wanted me to go with you, Hildy, but my part of the trade commerce has really been tightening its belt. I can't take off even a day, not even a few hours. I'm… really sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow!" Sighing, Hilda shook her head in disappointment, and hugged her fuzzy boyfriend.

"No, it's okay, Teej. I still love you. Guess I'll just go alone."

"Now don't you dare do a thing!" he blurted. "My Hildy's not going to the prom by herself! Ask Joshua! I'm sure he'll be more than willing to let you tag along with Felona!" Hilda gave Tijl a smug glance, and snorted lightly.

"Yeah, right. Those two'll be too busy with each other to pay me any heed. You know Josh. He ogles that poor creature like it's the end of the world. I guess I can't blame him; she _is_ really pretty." She sighed and shook her head yet again.

"What a nuisance."

"I know, but there's not much else I can do," shrugged Tijl. "…Hey, tell you what. I'll treat you to a nice restaurant the first chance I can get. How does that sound?"

"…Great," she grinned. She gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek, and ruffled his umber hair. "Love you."

"Yeah, I know. Have fun, Hildy. Try not to drink too much."

"Who, me?" She grinned and gave him a wink, and they shared a polite chuckle before parting.

"Hey, Josh. Uh?" Hilda barged in on her brother, who had obviously seen better days. He looked rather somber for one who was about to go to prom with a pretty young Ctarl.

"Oh, hey Hildy. What's up?" Despite his depressed air, Joshua still managed to smile weakly. Hilda mirrored the grin and sat next to her twin brother.

"Teej can't make it," she sighed. "I'm gonna be all by myself at prom."

"Oh, that's too bad," he sighed. His hand went for her shoulders, and he gave her a dutiful kiss on the cheek. "But, fate has a way of working. Felona just now called and said that _she_ can't make it, either."

"Oh, man!" Hilda sneered in disgust, and gave her brother a sympathetic look. "Josh, that's horrible!"

"Not really," he smiled. "I still have my little sister to fall back on!" Hilda gasped in awe, and was so astonished that she could only stare at her twin.

"Oh, Joshua… do you mean it?" He smiled brightly, and nodded his head.

"I would very much like to ask you to the prom, Hilda--that is, if you'll have me as your date?" Smiling in ecstatic rapture, Hilda leaped forward and gave her twin a tight hug. She smacked his lips with her own for a brief period, and grinned sharply as she combed through his long black hair.

"Huh… You don't mind going to the prom with your own sister?"

"Not at all!" he smiled. "I'd be honored! Or have you forgotten that we've grown up together?"

"Of course not," she said, smiling warmly. "I'd love to be your date. But…… _you_ need a tux!"

"A--huh? A tuxedo?! Hilda, you're joking!!!" She laughed out loud, and rubbed her cheek against his.

"I'm gonna enjoy this night so much. Thank you, Josh. Thanks for being so sweet."

"Anytime," he said flatly. "Now please let go of me. I can't breathe!!! Augh, Hildaaaaaa!!!!!"

"Oh, wow Hilda… You're _gorgeous!_"

"I knew you'd say that," she said, smiling shyly. Taking her brother's elbow in her own, Hilda rested her head on Joshua's shoulder, inhaling the crisp smell of his brand-new rental tux. Joshua, while hardly one to wear suits, looked devastatingly handsome in his new getup, and Hilda couldn't help but feel horrible for Felona. She would be kicking herself for years for having missed out on this--but then again, Tijl would too.

"You're looking quite lovely too," she complimented. Her brother thanked her, and gently held her hand as he helped her in their car. Prom night promised to be a wonderful experience for the siblings; a chance to escape from the hustle of their job and the bleakness of their horrible past.

The chateau where prom was being held was one of the few extravagant buildings in the whole city. Gardens were littered everywhere, some with gorgeous hanging vines and others with lilies and violets just reeking of delicious odors. Pools of crystal-clear water lapped against marble and porcelain, and a few small species of fish swam in the liquid. Spotlights decorated the building with their shafts of light, and banners and streamers had been thrown all over the chateau. The entire place smelled of love and romance and a good time, and despite the fact that they were siblings, Joshua and Hilda were probably the best couple out there.

They entered the large dance floor with elbows linked together, and smiled shyly as they saw people wandering around, socializing and dancing and holding each other close. Starved to death, Josh and Hilda first made a beeline to the buffet table, where a hundred delicacies just waited to be eaten.

"Hey, you know what this is?" pointed Hilda. The man standing next to her indicated that the rich food was pheasant. Joshua, meanwhile, stared at a goopy black substance that looked like it had been vomited on a cracker.

"Dis_gust_ing!" he spat. "I'm not _that_ hungry!" Hilda laughed out loud at her brother's humor, and guided him over to where the _real_ food was--that is, sandwiches and tempura and slices of cake and chips and rice and all kinds of fruit.

A fast-paced dance geared up as the two sat down for a chat, and Joshua gave his twin sister a bright grin as the song played.

"Hilda--"

"Uh, _no!_" she blurted. Joshua laughed out loud and forced his sister to get out on the floor.

"Come on, Hildy! Dance with your big brother!" Both Fenrils grinned like lunatics, and let their hearts and souls go free as they cut rugs by the bushel. The song itself was far too slow for their fast footwork (tutoring under Fenrir had given them impressive speed and agility), and soon the entire assembly had parted to watch the brother and sister duo raise the roof.

The song ended too soon, but a wave of applause rewarded their efforts. Smiling from exhausting, the sweating siblings hugged each other right in the middle of the dance floor (it became obvious long ago that they weren't afraid to show signs of affection in public). Another song followed up, somewhat slower than the last, and the Fenril children rested for a period before returning to the floor.

"Joshua…" Holding each other close during the slow dance, the Fenril children gazed at each other warmly in the cool room. "…This night was so wonderful."

"…Yeah…" She snorted, and kissed his shoulder.

"Is that all you can say?"

"…Yeah…" She chuckled and kissed his chin.

"…I love you, Josh."

"…Yeah…"

"You barbarian!" she giggled. "Say something!" Joshua grinned, and placed his hand on her cheek.

"You've made my life worth living, Hilda." She smiled, and blushed weakly as he held her close. She sighed, and let herself fall into the protector of the twin brother who was her elder by ten minutes.

"So have you," she replied. Joshua ran his hands down her back, taking great care to not wrinkle her beautiful dress. Some classmates could barely understand how Hilda could be so fiery one moment, and so cool another. Maybe it was the icy-blue dress with the hints of fiery red sewn into it. Maybe it was her personality. Whatever it was, people soon began calling her "the Hot Ice" afterwards, and as for Joshua, he would be forever known as "the Burning Blizzard". It was a name that neither of them hated.

Giggling frantically, Hilda tried to wrestle herself out of Joshua's grip; like a drunken gentleman, he was carrying her up the stairs of the hotel to their rented room. Being the strong young man he was, Joshua had no trouble in unlocking the room door while being gentle with his sister. Despite the fact that she had trained under the same martial artist he had, she was still a very delicate creature.

He gently laid her down on the single bed, and without a thought, began to undress into something more comfortable. Joshua and Hilda had survived the worst that life could have thrown at them; they were completely comfortable with each other, and weren't embarrassed in the least to change in front of the other. Hilda sighed, and eagerly stripped out of her dress. Though gorgeous, it was becoming uncomfortable, and she had better clothes to sleep in. She quickly reduced to her favorite purple boxers and purple tank-top; her brother had his standard black boxers and white T-shirt.

"Some night, eh?" he sighed. The slightly-older Fenril plopped down beside his sister in the bed. It was well past midnight by the time the two left the dance floor, and though their blood was still active from all the fun, insomnia would not reign forever.

"Oy, you said it," replied his weary sister. "Some night. Too bad Flo and Teej couldn't make it." He merely shrugged, and scooted close to his scantily-clad sister.

"You up for some TV? Maybe a late midnight snack?"

"Some other time," she yawned. "I'm getting tired. It really was a great night, Josh--really it was. I'm just too sleepy now to think straight."

"Oh." He smiled gently, his heart overpouring with love for his sister. Smiling, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and sighed as he prepared for sleep.

"…Josh?"

"Hm?"

"……Nah, forget it. I was about to say something nasty."

"Oh _really?_" He smirked, and rolled over to glance at the beautiful young woman next to him. "What was it?" She chuckled, and rolled over to face him. Her arms went around his neck, and she pulled him close. A pause.

"…Sometimes, I wish you weren't my brother," she whispered. "Oh, it's not like I don't love you. I do, Josh, I do. I honestly do. And that's the problem. Don't think I'm sick or anything, but… well… If you weren't my brother…" She trailed off, blushed slightly, and gazed away from him. He merely smiled and caressed her face.

"Sometimes I feel the same way, Hild. But, we're family, and there's really nothing we can do about it." She slowly turned her focus back to him, and with her topaz eyes, she gazed into his.

"Make love to me, Joshua."

"_Huh?_"

"Just kidding," she said with a chuckle and a wink. "Although, if you weren't my brother…"

"That's disturbing, Hilda," muttered Joshua, his face quite pale. She chuckled and gave him a sisterly peck on the nose.

"Told you it was nasty." They both shared a good chuckle, and Joshua pulled his sister closer still. He gave her a long kiss, one just barely teetering on the border of brotherly love and romantic love, and ruffled her hair.

"I love you, Hot Ice Hilda."

"And I love you, Burning Blizzard Joshua. Now get some sleep or else I'll beat you up."

"Yes, ma'am," he complied, smiling warmly. Hilda matched his grin perfectly, and together the two Fenrils held each other throughout the whole night, like they had done so many times as children.


	9. Dream Fantasia

****

Chapter Nine: Dream Fantasia

With the passing of prom, graduation was just around the corner.

True enough, both Tijl and Felona kicked themselves for an hour as they learned what they had missed at prom. Fortunately, the Ctarl-Ctarls were able to make it up to their individual love interests, and after a delicious fancy dinner, the two were excused and life went on.

Two days before graduation, the humans and Ctarls decided to visit the one place on the entire planet that was not covered with filth, grime, and dirt: the Lone Starr park, a veritable paradise of greenery and plants. It really was the only place on the world that had been unadulterated by the stench of decay from the rest of the world, and it was here where the four friends would often retreat.

This one certain day, they all ran towards the open meadow, laid on their backs, stuck blades of grass in their mouths, and stared up at the gray sky. For a few good minutes, the quartet passed the time just lying down and staring. Slowly, Hilda snuggled up to Tijl, and Felona did likewise to Joshua.

"What's on your mind, fuzzy?" asked Hilda. Tijl smiled and petted her hairless arms.

"Graduation," he replied. She snorted.

"Well, duh. We're _all_ thinking about that. I mean, _really!_ What are you thinking about?"

"I dunno," he sighed. "Probably what we'll all do after school. I'm thinking of staying in the trade business."

"That's good," smiled Hilda. She grunted, and fidgeted to make herself a little more comfortable. "I'll probably do the same. What about you, Josh? Flo?"

"Who, us? Uh, I think Flo's gonna go on into some kinda technological pursuit. I dunno; she's not completely certain. Me? I'm gonna be an outlaw." All three of the friends suddenly burst out laughing, none more so than Hilda.

"An outlaw?!" she squealed. "You've _got_ to be kidding." Joshua snorted, and smiled just a little bit as he held his girlfriend tighter.

"…Yeah, just kidding," he sighed. "Just a joke……"

"Anyway," sighed Tijl, "I'm sure we'll _all_ move off this planet after graduation. I for one can't stand to even look at it, and the smell's just… ugh!!"

"I agree," smiled Felona. "I still smell like the orphanage, even after taking so many baths."

"Agreed…" The four friends shared a smile, and kept their silence as they stared at the sky. It had been a strange and difficult life for each of them. Both Hilda and Joshua had lost both parents when they were five years old, and had been shoved into an orphanage that was so horrible, it might have been the death of them.

It was true that they had many fortunate turns of events during their life, such as Fenrir visiting them, their ability to attend school, their jobs, and most thankful, the orphanage being turned into a pile of rubble. Their life as students in public school was fading quickly, and only two days remained before they ventured out into the "real" world (not that they hadn't had enough experience in it already).

"Hey…?"

"Hm?" A pause.

"…This might be rushing things," said Tijl, "but is anybody considering marriage?" Hilda blushed furiously, and gazed at her furry boyfriend in surprise.

"Tijl Leo!"

"Hey, I'm just asking," he sniffed. Hilda pursed her lips and shook her head.

"I dunno," she replied. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I'll end up marrying you. And Flo, hon, I guess you'll be my sister-in-law." Felona smiled, her furry-red face growing much more red from embarrassment.

"…Maybe," she replied.

"Definitely!" exclaimed Joshua with a wink. Felona's entire body turned red, and she grinned at her boyfriend's smiling face. Giggling slightly, she gave him a lick and cuddled up closer.

"Well," sighed Tijl, "we'll just have to think about all that later. The future will come one day at a time, so until then, we should just take things as they come to us."

"Agreed." Hilda sighed, and held onto her Ctarl-Ctarl like he was going to leave at a moment's notice. Tijl would never do that, of course; he loved her too much. And he _was_ serious when he mentioned marriage--but he was also serious when he said that the future would just come at its own pace. After all, they still had to enjoy the limited beauty of the park.

"…Strang Faulle!" An applause spread across the auditorium, and a chunky young man loved by many people marched up to the podium. Smiling broadly, he grabbed his diploma and gave the principal a tight hug. Hilda grinned warmly and nudged Felona.

"Looks like you're next, Miss Valedictorian," she said. Felona smiled shyly and fidgeted in her seat.

"Then it's you and Joshy, huh?"

"Mm-hm." Felona smiled shyly again, and played absently with her tail until her name was called.

"Felona Felis!" The red-headed Ctarl-Ctarl leaped out of her seat, squealing nonsensically as her name was called. With a giddy step and a bright smile, the Valedictorian of the class stepped up to the platform and took her diploma with teary eyes (it wasn't like she was afraid she wouldn't graduate). She hugged the principal, which seemed to a tradition started by Aimee Aarons, and would probably end with Jakob Zuunin. With a grinning mouth, Felona skipped back to her seat amidst a wave of applause.

"Way to go, sweetie!" whispered Joshua, giving her a brief kiss. Felona grinned, and held onto the young man fiercely. Kisses were received from Tijl and Hilda as well, and the foursome took some time to quiet down enough to hear the rest of the names.

"…Hilda Fenril! Joshua Fenril!" The twins nearly screamed as both their names were called, and hand in hand, they walked over to the podium and each took their diploma. A funny moment ensued when the twins got each other's diplomas, and amidst laughter and applause, they exchanged papers with each other and gave a double-hug to the principal.

Both beamed happily as they returned to their seats, and both were given an affectionate kiss from their individual Ctarl-Ctarl love interest.

"You look great," hissed Tijl happily. "Both of you. Hilda looks so cute in her graduation dress!" Hilda, wearing a dark-green cap and gown, merely smiled.

"What about me?" snickered Joshua, hugging Tijl's neck. "Do I look pretty?"

"Hey, get off! Don't even joke about something like that!" Joshua laughed out loud, but was cut off by a glare from Felona.

"Joshy-poo," she said, "please stop bothering that poor creature. You know he can't defend himself."

"Hey!!"

"Hahahahahahaha!!"

"Besides," purred Felona, "_I_ think you look very nice." She grinned, and rubbed her nose up against his cheek. Hilda opened her mouth and stuck her finger in it, pantomiming a gag.

"Where's a barf bag when you need one?" she groaned. Tijl smiled and ruffled her hair.

"Tijl Leo? Tijl Leo, are you in the house? Will the _real_ Tijl Leo please stand up?"

"Huh?" Still ruffling his girlfriend's hair, Tijl twitched his ears as the principal called his name. He chuckled weakly, and rubbed his neck as he slowly stood and waved to the laughing and clapping audience.

"Hahahahaha… sorry bout' that, folks!"

"…I don't know him," sighed Hilda, covering her face in shame. "I _don't_ know him…"

Placing his arms across the shoulders of his girlfriend and his best friend, Tijl smiled mischievously and demanded what the group was doing next.

"Well, I gotta get outta this graduation gown first," grunted Hilda.

"But you look so _cute_ in it!" crooned the male Ctarl. She gave him a nasty face and snorted.

"Hmph. Whatever." Joshua and Felona laughed out loud, and the four friends simultaneously removed their caps and gowns. Beneath them were their finest clothes: dresses for the girls, and light sweaters and khakis for the guys. It was a bright and sunny afternoon, so after disposing of their clothes, the four graduates decided to spend the rest of the gorgeous day in revelry and celebration.


	10. Ballad of Broken Dreams

****

Chapter Ten: Ballad of Broken Dreams

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; they had everything before them, they had nothing before them; they were all going direct to Heaven, they were all going direct the other way.

In short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its nosiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

At least, that's what Hilda thought.

Halfway drunk and completely paralyzed from exhaustion, Hilda's golden eyes barely stayed open as she gazed at the dizzy fan spinning directly over her head. Lazy eyes tried following the slow blades, but in her stupor, she was only able to move her eyes around in pathetic circles.

Her breath stank of alcohol a little and her body smelled of money. A sick, tired feeling welled up in her stomach, and in the heat of the room and the dizziness of it all, the Hot Ice began to melt; that is, great beads of perspiration began appearing all over her body.

She wore little more than the necessities. Her breathing was very slow and thin, almost as if she was dying, and in a way, she was. In the distance, a very depressing song was playing on the radio, about loneliness and death and betrayal. One lazy hand reached up to Hilda's mouth, and the remains of the sake vanished in her mouth. She snarled, the drink being more potent than she remembered, and tried not to spew it out on her barely-concealed body.

Joshua, smelling of failure, opened the door and staggered inside the house, a dejected look on his face. Ironically, the song on the radio suddenly turned into a slow feel-good song, the singers sounding quite melodic and maybe high on some new drug. The gorgeous Hilda, the Hot Ice, who was currently quite drunk and reeking of many things, smiled as her twin brother emerged from the outside world. She couldn't move.

"Hey," said Joshua weakly. "I couldn't find a job."

"…That's okay," she slurred hazily. "…I'm sure you'll find something soon…" She smiled just barely, perspiring even though she had not moved much in an hour. Her eyes were just barely open, and even though she stank and was drunk and was sweating, Hilda still looked like an angel as she laid there smiling.

Himself not in the mood for happiness, Joshua slumped over and plopped down on the ruined couch. He gazed at his sister, and smiled at one of the few bright moments in his life. He was tempted to roll over and fall on the floor, where he would crawl over to his sister and join her. His heart liked the idea, but his body did not, so a war was waged for a little while.

An hour or so passed, and Joshua's body won. With a muffled plop, he fell to the floor and crawled towards his miserable sister. His own body protested movement, so he had to use a little force to get across the dirty floor. Packets of a million different kinds of food and condiment were scattered across, and it would be up to Joshua to clean it all.

With a sigh, Joshua pulled himself towards his twin sister, and hugged onto her arm as she laid there. Hilda grinned despite her oncoming headache, and felt drunk enough to give her Self to him. The two of them sat there in their filthy apartment room, waiting for a future that never seemed to come. One year had passed since their graduation.

With an equally uneventful entry, Tijl came into the room. Only Joshua did not rake in money; everyone else bore some kind of income. In the past year, Felona had moved out and found a nice place to stay for the rest of her life. Because of her new occupation, she was becoming quite rich, but no so rich as to support three other friends. She had offered to take Joshua in, but since he was currently unemployed, he regrettably declined. He didn't want poor Felona to support him unless he was working.

Tijl and Hilda remained in the same apartment, and it seemed like once Joshua found a steady job, the apartment would become abandoned again and the four friends would marry and live with their individual lovers. The oldest among them, Joshua, was neither lazy nor lacking ambition, but he never could find a wonderful job that catered to his abilities.

Sighing, Tijl kneeled to the floor and joined his girlfriend. Hilda smiled as the two most-wonderful men in her life held onto her hands, and in a drunken stupor, she wished to have them both. Sanity took over, as did her olfactory glands, and with a terrible moan of pain and laziness, Hilda exerted all her energies to stand on her feet.

"…Hey, guys…" she slurred, "…I gotta take a shower. Anyone wanna join me?"

"Don't accept," sighed Joshua wearily, gazing at his Ctarl friend. "She's had too much sake. She can't think straight."

"Yeah…"

"Hey, are you saying things about me?" muttered Hilda wearily. Joshua looked up at his sister and smiled.

"Never," he replied. Hilda grinned, and took one step towards the bathroom before falling to the floor. She giggled, even as Joshua and Tijl lifted her arms up from the floor and carried her into the bathroom. Hilda was so out of it that she could not even undress herself, so Tijl was given Joshua's job of cleaning up the house as the eldest Fenril helped his sister.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, Hildy," sighed Joshua. Regaining her sanity briefly, Hilda smiled and gave him a kiss.

"Hey, I can take care of myself," she said dreamily. "I need this shower. You don't have to help." A pause. Joshua shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

"All right… Just don't slip and fall."

"Gotcha." Hilda winked, and kissed her brother again before he left to clean up the rest of the house.

Another dark and depressing song played on the radio as Tijl and Joshua tidied up the small apartment. The two strained their backs as they picked up dirt and filth from the floor, and a vacuum had to be applied several times over before it was really sanitary. Windows were washed and the mountain of laundry was cleaned; dirt was scrubbed off the walls, and bulbs were changed so the room looked a little brighter.

As Joshua and Tijl finished their rounds, Hilda stepped out of the bathroom with her traditional light-blue bathrobe on. She looked and smelled much better--so much so that she received a warm hug and kiss from her two favorite guys.

"Feeling better?"

"Much," she sighed. "Remind me to never do that again."

"Will do," smiled Joshua. "That's what we're here for, right?" A pause. Hilda smiled, and gave her unemployed mooch of a brother a tight hug.

"Right. Together forever."

"Together forever," responded Joshua.

"Forever and ever," said Tijl, and in the cleanliness and filth of the room and their lives, the friends banded together and made their yearly solemn oath of Friendship Together Forever.

Their futures, however slowly they came, were still quite uncertain. Money, bills, food, clothes, it all plagued the three friends. Bad trading seasons came and went, and belts had to be tightened upon many occasions. Sometimes, the Fenrils were so poor that they began to miss their life in the orphanage; other times, Hilda nearly came close to prostituting herself just to get by.

But they managed to live on. Pick-me-ups from Felona ensured them that they would never be in want, and her omnipresent hospitality ensured them that they always had someplace to go to, but her schedule forbade them to actually meet. Four more years would pass before the four friends would ever meet again; until that time, they would just have to keep living, despite so many of their dreams being broken.

**__**

To be continued…

Closing comments: Up until this point, things have been pretty straightforward and (I'll admit it) dull, but what else do you expect from a biography? I really haven't answered any questions up to this point, i.e. why Hilda has an eye patch, why she became an outlaw, the reason she was looking for the XGP and Melphina, why her relationship with the pirates was so bitter, etc. etc. The next five chapters will answer any and all questions, and will also wrap up Hilda's biography. I must warn all readers, however--the ending may not be to your liking. I put "angst/drama" up there for a reason… and the rating might change, too. Things will take a more interesting turn, so you'd better get ready!


	11. The Reunion

**__**

The Life And Times of Hot Ice Hilda

By Al Kristopher

Part Three: Atropos

****

Chapter Eleven: The Reunion

As she suspected, not much had happened in the past five years. The four friends graduated, went their separate ways, lost and found fortune, and lived life in general. One half-decade had passed since their graduation day, so of course a class reunion was in store. Hilda was both eager and uninterested in attending the reunion: eager because she missed Felona and Tijl (who had ventured to a distant planet to better his career as a trader), and uninterested because… well…

In the past five years, Hilda had become something of an unsavory character with the law. To be certain, she was not a bad woman; in fact, up until very recently, she had walked the path of the straight and narrow, which counted as a surprise since she was raised in such a pit of darkness. Over the years, though, she had been involuntarily involved in a lot of bad blood between fellow merchant's guilds, and the double-crossings and stabbing of backs over the years landed her in a very sticky mess.

Having been at the bad end of several betrayals, disputes, and just-plain-bad situations, it was little wonder that Hilda was soon considered something of an outlaw. Thankfully, about six months ago, she had removed herself from the trade business before anything _really_ bad could happen, and with the help of her brother, turned to the life of a mercenary for income. It was here, at this stage of her life, where she slowly turned to the ways of the outlaw.

Of course, there was also the matter of the ship she had stolen…

Letting out a long gust of air, Hilda mindlessly polished her stolen vessel until the outer hull reflected her rough face. Glancing at herself briefly (Hilda never was the vain type), the outlaw known as Hot Ice smiled faintly as she barely recognized the woman staring back at her. A life filled with ups and downs had shaped her face to something of a rough mask, with faint traces of beauty and just a hint of gentleness in it. Her golden eyes were glassy and empty, probably from so many years of numbing activities. The hair she had now was dark and thick, and a little longer than what she was used to.

Hilda smiled, reasoned herself to be more tough than she was pretty (she never _really_ looked natural in a dress), and continued cleaning the ship she was "borrowing permanently". She had "received" it from a painfully-naïve client, who had some wild notion that she was this innocent and pure little dove, and her physical build betrayed her gentle ways. _Whatever sinks your boat, pal,_ Hilda had thought as she hijacked the ship. It wasn't immensely large, but it was fast, which was good because she felt she would be running around a lot. It had a sub-ether drive, and impressive weapons and armor. All in all, it was a basic, run-of-the-mill vessel that stood out like a leaf in the forest.

Hilda loved it, so much so that she named it after her brother, sort of.

"…Horace…" Whispering the name of her ship, Hilda applied a little more cleaner to her rag, and washed off any dirt and grime that had collected since her last cleaning one week before (Horace was her brother's middle name). As she cleaned, she saw another face appear on the shiny metal, and with measured caution, she turned around to see who it was.

Standing before her was an elegant and sophisticated-looking woman, just a little taller than Hilda herself. She was wearing a traditional white kimono, with a much lighter orange fabric underneath. A red sash was wound around her waist, and what appeared to be a wooden sword was sheathed at her side. She had dark hair, even darker than Joshua's midnight-black locks, though it was much more organized since it had been tied into a ponytail. The woman had a very fair face, and mysterious eyes, and lips as red as blood.

The woman approached Hilda quietly, squinted her vague eyes, and leaned in closer, as if she was searching for something on Hilda's body. The words she spoke gave Hilda a bemused feeling.

"…Hilda? Hilda, is that you?" Hilda warily returned the woman's gaze, with an attentive face and a clenched fist.

"…Yeah, it's me," she replied cautiously (she had to be on guard when she was by herself, for she never knew when a "debtor" would come to "collect"). "What's your business?"

"…Now don't tell me that you don't recognize me," said the woman with a small, enigmatic smile. Hilda frowned deeply and shook her head.

"…Sorry. Should I know you from somewhere?"

"I should say so," replied the woman. "We grew up together in the same orphanage." Hilda, still somewhat in the dark, could only shake her head and rack her brain for images to match the young lady up with.

"…Sorry, you don't ring any bells." The woman sighed, and stuck out her hand for Hilda to shake.

"I am Suzuka Jaye Tsukata."

"Ahhh, now I remember you!" exclaimed Hilda. She smiled broadly, and took the lady's hand. "Suzuka! I'm so sorry for not recognizing you sooner! You've changed so much since the last time I saw you!"

"Yes, well…" Smiling lightly, Suzuka released Hilda's hand and stepped forth to examine her ship. "I have changed much since I moved out. As you can tell, I'm no longer the rotten little girl I used to be. I have matured quite a bit since then. I'm now working in a field where my skills will be most beneficial, and I've seen enough of the galaxy to make lesser people jealous. What about you?"

"Who, me?" smiled Hilda. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I became an outlaw. This ship here? It's stolen."

"_Really?_" smiled Suzuka mysteriously. Hilda nodded her head, and the fair-faced woman chuckled politely. "Well, I myself am a professional assassin, who is hired to track down and eliminate outlaws." Suzuka grinned sweetly, her hand clasping her wooden sword. Hilda swallowed, but kept her poker face as she gazed at her fellow orphan.

"Is that so?"

"Don't worry, my friend," replied Suzuka. "I would never do that to someone I grew up with." She smiled, and relaxed as Hilda breathed out a sigh of relief. Eerily, Suzuka added, "Not without payment, at least."

"……I see."

"You have nothing to worry about, Hilda," assured Suzuka gently. "I merely came here to see you."

"Ah." Relieved somewhat, Hilda smiled one more time and resumed her cleaning of the ship. "So, seeing as you grew up with me, you probably went to the same school as I did. There's a reunion coming up and I was wondering if you're attending?"

"…No, I'm not," replied Suzuka softly. "I have other business to attend to. But I do hope to see you again, sometime. It was great to meet you again, Hilda. Please say hello to your brother for me."

"Will do." Both ladies smiled at the other, and without saying another word, Suzuka left the hangar. Suddenly, a loud _oof!_ sound echoed across the empty room, and both Suzuka and the man she bumped into crashed on the floor. Hilda laughed gently, and walked over to help both of them up.

"Sorry," she said. "Joshua's normally not very clumsy. You okay, Suzuka?"

"……Yes," muttered Suzuka as she stood up. "…Thank you, Hilda. I apologize, Joshua. I did not--" She cut herself off, gazed at Joshua, and swallowed deeply. He smiled at her, and she blushed just faintly. Joshua had grown quite attractive in the past five years.

"…Uhhhh…"

"Hey there," he smiled. "Sorry about that."

"…No, it's… all right."

"Hey, stop flirting, you two!" coughed Hilda. Suzuka blushed even more, and apologized for her actions. Hilda introduced the fair-faced woman to her brother, and as she expected, both of them took some time out of the day to reunite and catch up on old times. Suzuka chuckled politely as she learned that Joshua was currently taken, and once again apologized for her actions. She bade both long-lost friends farewell, and as silently as she came, Suzuka left.

"What was that all about?" asked Joshua. Hilda shrugged and smiled at her big brother.

"Who cares? Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah… But watch out for Tijl. He's a little overexcited, so don't think he's gone nuts if he suddenly tackles you." Smiling emptily, Hilda took Joshua's warnings to heart and guided him off to her stolen ship. He let out a whistle as he saw it.

"Oh, wow! Hilda, this thing's big enough to hold a fourth of the graduating class! Where'd you find it?"

"Well," she answered slyly, "I just… found it, that's all." Joshua gave her a look, and knew right from her crafty smile that the vehicle was stolen. He shrugged, himself having been engaged in several "unsavory activities" during his life, and pecked his sister on her cheek.

"Well, that's okay," he said. "At least you were kind enough to be part of the convoy. I hate having to go back to that God-awful planet, but it's the only way we'll ever see our old friends."

"Hm, agreed," said Hilda. Since their class reunion would be held on the planet they grew up on, Hilda had volunteered to give rides to several of her classmates. A small convoy of ships would then have to travel from the four corners of the galaxy, gathering long-separated classmates so everyone could attend the reunion.

"HILDAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"

"Ack!!!" Sure enough, Tijl tackled Hilda hard as the two reunited. He squeezed her tightly, rubbing his golden fur against her face. "My Hilda! You look so different from when I saw you last! You're so mature and tough!"

"…I guess those're compliments," she shrugged. "Now, if you don't mind too terribly much, I can't seem to breathe well. Would you please…?"

"…Oh, of course!" exclaimed Tijl. Smiling weakly, he released his girlfriend and apologized. "…It's just that I haven't seen either one of you in so long!"

"I know, this reunion really came at a great time!" exclaimed Joshua. "I tell you what, the first thing I'm gonna do when I see Felona is ask her to marry me! No, I'm serious!" Both Hilda and Tijl were each giving him doubtful looks, partially believing him.

"…Sure, right, whatever," she said. "Anyway, how about we get a move-on, huh? Mr. Marriage, you can sit up front with me. Teej, sorry, but you'll have to stay in the back."

"Aw, c'mon!" he pouted. "Lemme sit next to you! Josh'n Flo will be too busy with each other to care!!" Joshua snorted and jammed his elbow into Tijl's ribs; Hilda merely shrugged, and shepherded everyone aboard before more time was wasted. It had been too long since any of them experienced real happiness, so they were all well overdue.

Author's note: Maybe it's just me, but I honestly believe that Suzuka and Hilda knew each other before the series started, and although neither one of them reveals it, I'm pretty sure that, at one time, they were acquaintances at the least. The galaxy is a pretty small place, after all… so it's possible that they knew each other.


	12. The Battle

****

Chapter Twelve: The Battle

Hilda had no desire to return to the evil-infested planet that was her home world, but if she really had the desire to reunite with her classmates, she had little choice in the matter. Hilda's _Horace_ was one of many vessels in the convoy that was ferrying the graduation class from all corners of the galaxy to reunite at the old school. All in all, about a dozen or so ships carried the entire graduation class, and the mood onboard every single one of them was festive.

Smiling affectionately, Hilda waded through the ship full of old friends, occasionally hearing one of the more drunken ones give a toast to her. She would always laugh at them, and nearly joined a few drinkers on her passage through the ship. Several small groups of friends were also engaged in singing and gambling, and of course there were enough flirters in the group to keep Hilda on her toes.

Finally, she squeezed through the thick crowds and made her way to the cockpit, where Joshua, Tijl, and Felona were all laughing and having a good time. Hilda's heart grew light as she saw her dearest friends in all the universe being merry and bright, and were it not for the duties of the pilot (herself filling that role), she would have joined them eagerly. But with a sigh, she assumed her responsibilities, and sat in the pilot's chair to maneuver _Horace_. Besides, she would have time to party later.

"What's up, Hot Stuff Hilda?" joked Tijl. Hilda snarled playfully and slapped his furry paw away as he touched her shoulder.

"Teej, don't call me that."

"Why not?" grinned the Ctarl. "It's true! You so fine, Hilda, you got my hair in knots!"

"Please," moaned Hilda happily. "Spare me your senseless flattery."

"The Ctarl has a significant point, Hild," mumbled Joshua as he leaned back in the copilot chair. "You've grown quite lovely in the past five years. I just might have to fight off all the other guys. Tijl too; I don't think he'd shine to having other men hit on his girl."

"Noooooo way, not me!" sang the half-drunk Ctarl-Ctarl. "Hilda's mine and mine alone--ain't that right, hon?"

"…Hon?" parroted Hilda. "Did you just call me _hon?_"

"Settle down now, kids," muttered Joshua. "It's hard enough to get some rest, what with the revelers back there." Hilda grinned, and slapped her brother's knee lovingly.

"Only Joshua would be able to sleep at a time like this," she said. He brushed the black hair out of his eyes and winked.

"Darn straight." Hilda smiled again, and things went relatively quiet for the next ten minutes or so (relatively because there never was a lull on the ship; there was always one person or another stirring up din). In that period of time, Hilda let her mind roam where it would and stared off into the vast emptiness of space.

Hilda never liked to brood on the past unless it was necessary, or if she was especially bored. Her past was dark enough as it was; thinking about it didn't help things a bit. Hilda instead concentrated on the present, and never on the future. The future was uncertain; even their arrival on the planet of darkness and broken dreams was not guaranteed. A million things could happen to them on the way there, not all of them particularly great. They could even all die.

But Hilda accepted her fate, whatever it might have been--or, at least, she led herself to believe that. Truth be told, if Hilda had truly been thrust into a fate she didn't agree with, her reaction might not have been what she initially thought. Still, as an outlaw, she prepared herself for whatever was thrown at her. Clotho might have given her a bad beginning, and Atropos was as certain as the shape of water when spilled, so Hilda often had to rely on Lachesis' decisions.

Hilda's concentration was broken as an overzealous Felona suddenly fell into her lap, giggling like some child drunk on wine. Felone purred wildly and smiled as she saw Hilda staring down at her. Two fuzzy hands went around Hilda's neck, and Felona gave her friend a sloppy lick across the cheek.

"Hey, Hilda honey! What's happening??" Hilda scoffed and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I can see _you've_ changed," she noted. Felona cackled wildly as all Ctarl-Ctarls usually did, and squirmed so bad that Hilda nearly dropped the poor creature. Felona wriggled into the more-preferred lap of Joshua, and her affections for him were taken more eagerly.

"Go easy on my Felona, Hildy," pouted Joshua playfully. "She's just excited to see everyone, isn't that right Felona-dear?"

"Yup!" smiled the once-timid girl.

"I'm excited to see everyone too, but you don't see me sitting in people's laps and licking them," noted Hilda dryly. Felona made a face and cuddled up closer to Joshua, and the friends enjoyed one more moment of happiness and peace.

"…So how far is the planet now?" asked Tijl in a hushed voice. _Horace_ was now somewhere deep in space, having just passed through a sub-ether drive. There was little else out there except for one planet and a distant but warm sun, so everyone's silence was understandable. Even the most riotous of revelers had calmed down to a quiet hush.

"Dunno," shrugged Hilda. "My guess is that it's about thirteen--"

_BOOM!!!_ Hilda's voice was immediately cut off by the rocking of the ship, and several nasty words fell out of her mouth as she tumbled towards the dashboard. The ship buckled again, rocking and tumbling like it was being hit by a meteor shower. Hilda snarled as she regained manual control of the vessel, and almost spat as she noticed that nothing was out there.

"What the devil?!" she blurted. "What's going--" Before she could speak any further, the ship was once again struck by a phantom object, and all sense of balance was lost. Hilda growled, her hair standing on end much like Tijl's, and an effort was made to try and determine what the cause of turbulence was.

"Hilda! Port side!" shouted Tijl. The monitors on _Horace_ flicked to life, and Hilda stared in horrible confusion as a dozen nasty-looking vessels stared right back at her, guns blazing and some of the shots hitting the ship.

"What the…"

"Pirates," hissed Tijl. "They've gotta be pirates!"

"Pirates?! What in the worlds would pirates want with us??" growled Hilda. "We're just a civilian passenger ship with nothing more valuable than a few personal belongings!" Another shot rammed into them, one so powerful that it jarred everyone awake, even the most intoxicated of drunks. Hilda's face went wild in a snarl, and she prayed to Lachesis to extend life and luck for all.

"Whoever they are, they're not fooling around!" she spat. "Joshua! You awake?"

"Regrettably yes," he muttered, hopping into the copilot's seat. "I was having a good dream, too."

"Well, we can't take our frustration out on them," said Hilda hastily. "_Horace_ doesn't have any guns yet, and there's nothing we can use to fight back. Huh, guess this is what I get for procrastinating." Joshua partially ignored his twin, concentrating more on the lines of steering the ship to safety than hearing excuses or explanations. Both Joshua and Hilda were above-average pilots, although he might have had a slight edge over his younger sibling.

It did not take Hilda's vessel long to realize it was trapped. The pirates were circling around the entire convoy, and although the enemy ships were evenly-matched, they had guns and rockets whereas none of the other ships did. Hilda could only outmaneuver them for so long--and then, there was the matter of the other vessels to think about. Hilda was slowly diving into a deep well of trouble, which there was no way to claw back out of once inside.

"Attention, ye pasty space-dogs!" snarled a voice from Hilda's comm radio. "Yer outnumbered'n outclassed! Surrender yer vessels and we might go easy on ya! Put up a fight, and we blow y'all to ashes!!"

"Friendly people," muttered Tijl angrily. "Hilda, what do we do??"

"What else can we do?" she replied, her hands already flicking buttons and levers. "We're gonna have to land this thing on that planet over there and fight back."

"WHAT?! Hilda, that's not your decision to make!"

"Look!!" she snapped fiercely. "We're screwed no matter where we go, but I figure we'll stand a better chance on the ground! I've got enough guns in this ship for everybody to have one, so go back and inform everyone else of the plans!" Tijl stared at his girlfriend in horror, but his paralyzed state was instantly broken when she shouted at him again, urging him to perform the duties.

"GO!!! We can worry about everything else later!! Sorry for dragging you into this, but we don't have a choice right now!!!"

"…All right, I understand!" he said. Without wasting a second more, Tijl bolted out of the cockpit and began screaming orders left and right. Hilda grimly fastened herself into her seat, and ordered everyone onboard to do likewise.

"Hang on, Josh!" she barked. "This is gonna be one bumpy ride! I'm gonna start the landing cycle, so just hang on and hope we all get through this!!!"

The pirates immediately gave chase as soon as they saw the convoy of vessels touch down on the planet below them. Their guns spewed out flaming bullets by the hundred, but thankfully, only a few actually struck anything. Hilda was far too busy concentrating on landing to wonder why her day was ruined by these marauders, or even why they were attacking in the first place. She would have plenty of time to think later.

Smoke and dust scattered as the twenty-four ships landed on the planet, half belonging to pirates and half belonging to the graduation class. With the exception of the new arrivals, the planet remained very quiet and altogether empty. The two convoys had landed in a very wide open field of grass, with a forest just to the southeast and civilization a little further than that. Unless somebody brought out some very heavy artillery, nobody would disturb their battle.

Slowly, the hatches of the pirates' ships opened, and perhaps a thousand desperate marauders flooded out, all of them armed. The leader, a massive man with a black rose tattoo on his face, stepped forward to give his unfortunate victims their ultimatum.

"Now hear these, ye dogs!" he growled. "We here are the infamous Blackrose Pirates, and I'm Blackrose himself! We be partners with the Qay Pirates, and the Syndicate of 108 stars! If ye know what's good for ye, then ye'd better come out with yir hands up and yir treasures out! If ya don't show yerselves in one minute……" He paused for drama, chuckled, and sneered out their sentence.

"Then ye shall meet Death!"

"…Okay, that might be enough time," whispered Joshua softly. He turned to his fellow classmates, all of them bearing arms and battle-ready faces. Each and every one of them had faced the same troubles that the Fenrils and the Ctarls had faced; indeed, some were even part of the same orphanage. They had been through much worse than a mere pirate attack, so their lack of fear was understandable.

"We're going to need a sacrificial lamb," whispered Joshua. "Somebody needs to go out there and draw their attention for just a few seconds. When the pirates see them surrender, I want everyone else to run out with guns blazing. Hopefully, we'll overpower them and walk away without too many casualties. Everyone ready?"

"As we'll ever be," bristled Tijl nervously. "Hey, listen, let me be the guy that grabs their attention." Joshua gave his best friend a quizzical look.

"You sure?"

"Positive," said Tijl with a nod. "Hey, compared to the orphanage and that stink-hole of a planet, this will be as easy as eating cake."

"Okay," shrugged Joshua. "But you be careful, okay?"

"Sure," winked the Ctarl. He turned to Hilda, whose mask of concentration was so hard that not even Joshua could have broken it. "…Hey, Hot Stuff Hilda, gimme a kiss for good luck!" Tijl was smiling, and partially teasing her, but Hilda didn't seem to notice. She snapped out of her trance briefly, saw the smile on her boyfriend's face, and returned it as her lips met his in a very passionate kiss.

"………Don't do anything foolish," she warned after the kiss broke. Tijl winked and ruffled her dark hair.

"Aw, c'mon, you never let me have any fun!"

"Time's almost up!" hissed Joshua suddenly, cutting off any further conversation. Tijl let out a sigh, shrugged, and waved farewell as he stepped out of the vessel. Hilda gazed at her brother and shook her head.

"God, how I love that guy…"

The Ctarl-Ctarl Tijl Leo stepped out of _Horace_, his hands touching the top of his golden-umber head, and carefully stepped down to the surface of the planet. The pirates all aimed their weapons at him, even though it was plainly obvious that he was unarmed. The one who had identified himself as Blackrose (the one with a black rose tattoo on his face), stepped forward and grinned haughtily.

"Well, a Ctarl-Ctarl! And he's surrendering to us, too! What _has_ this life come to?" The other pirates laughed out loud, but Tijl concentrated on the big boss. He took a deep breath, and waited for the villainous group to get a little closer before giving the signal. When he was sure they were all in good distance, he quickly lowered one arm, and a salvo of firepower erupted from the vessel.

Explosions and fiery darts of death rocked the planet, and the pirates scattered in confusion. Hilda and Joshua, each armed with two small guns, came out of the ship with both weapons blasting, and surprised pirates left and right began falling. Felona threw Tijl two guns as well, and used her years of training under Fenrir to leap out of the vessel and attack.

Confusion soon became clouded by smoke as hundreds of other people came from the ships, their own weapons firing madly. The pirates had all been caught off guard, but were startled only briefly. Only one minute of intense one-way crossfire passed before the pirates armed themselves and countered. The surprise attack had given Hilda and her comrades a brief advantage, and their sheer numbers kept this advantage high even as the Blackrose pirates fought back.

Death and fire and chaos erupted in the previously-calm air of the unknown planet. Guns, rockets, and explosions were set off everywhere, and as far as the eye could see, smoke and confusion and destruction was spread out. The pirate forces quickly gained an edge as they stormed back, many of them firing guns of their own. The air was soon filled with the stink and spark of a thousand blaster bolts zigzagging between two opposing fronts, and the ground became drenched in blood.

Hilda and Joshua stood back-to-back, firing off their twin guns at anything they didn't recognize. Their aim was not very sure; they were fighters and not gunners, so their skills were not impressive. But together, they managed to level the enemy lines while keeping many friends away from harm. Tijl had long ago lost his gun, but instead of the usual curse, he instead smiled at his misfortune. The pirates surrounding him wondered why he was so happy.

"You know," he told them, "I was once a student under Fenrir!!" To prove it, he got into the most classical fighting stance he could think of, and every mother's son ran in fright as they recognized it. Tijl whined in protest as the pirates scattered, and calmly walked in the thick of battle to dispose of the enemy with his bare hands. Felona, who ten years ago would have been cowering somewhere, was finally showing her proud Ctarl-Ctarl heritage by chasing after a dozen pirates and screaming like a banshee.

"Crap!!" Joshua's gun was firing blanks, and soon one of Hilda's became defunct as well.

"No matter," she replied. "I've got one more!" The twins smiled at each other, clapped their hands together, and continued to blast away at the pirates until their guns ran out of ammo. From their point of view, the battle was a back-and-forth struggle. Pirates and fellow classmates were slaughtering and were being slaughtered; nobody seemed to have an upper hand over anybody else.

It was a complete massacre, in short. Blood and violence was everywhere: body parts were being hacked to pieces, heads were cut off or blasted away, chests exploded in fiery messes, friends and foes fell down on the red ground and never stood again, and the sick smell of smoke and fire and blood and death polluted the once-unadulterated air.

"This isn't looking good," grumbled Hilda, throwing her useless gun away. Joshua agreed, and the two of them plowed through the battle lines to join Tijl and Felona. The two Ctarls were going ballistic on the enemies, ripping and clawing everything that moved. Heads were bashed in and necks were snapped; bones were obliterated and flesh was ripped apart. The Fenrils were not sickened; they had seen worse when they lived in Dark City.

"Hey!!! You need help?!?!" shouted Joshua over the chaos. Two berserk Ctarl-Ctarls turned around, snarling and hissing ferociously as they saw their human lovers.

"What kept you?!" hissed Felona. "Or were you planning on making us hog all the fun?"

"You're sick!!!!" shouted Joshua as he joined his love. Felona smiled wickedly as he leaped into the air and smashed his boot against the face of another pirate, then landed and launched his fist straight into the chest of another.

"I love it!!!" he shouted. Felona squealed, and the four close friends stood back-to-back as they continued to slaughter every living enemy in the district. One student that had trained under Fenrir was bad enough; four were nearly unstoppable. The pirates would have had an easier time slaughtering professional space forces bare-handed than going up against four students of Fenrir.

The fighting lasted for four straight hours. By this time, the ground had become littered with bodies, and the grass was soaked red with blood. Smoke hovered thickly in the air, and only a few remaining enemies were left for the four friends to fight off. Then again, almost every single member of the graduation class had been butchered as well, and as tragic as it was, nobody had time to shed tears. Enough blood had been wasted already; crying wasn't going to help at all.

Fiercely, the four friends broke off into two groups to tackle the remaining pirates. Tijl and Joshua each squared off against five heavily-armed and very large pirates. Tijl attacked first, dashing forward to give one brute two very fast kicks in the face. Joshua followed up, ramming his powerful fists in the giant's stomach and knocking the man down.

Two more ganged up on Tijl, but his quick arms caught them both by the neck. He slammed the two of them together, receiving a satisfying _crunch_ sound from their collision. Joshua's two attackers each received a powerful chop on the neck, and so shattering were his blows that they both died on the spot. The two buddies grinned at each other, oblivious of the doom around them and the wings of Death itself brushing up against their faces.

A sudden blast shot forth, slamming directly in Tijl's chest. The surprised Ctarl was hurtled back, his face aghast with shock and confusion and maybe a tiny trace of pain. Joshua screamed out as his close friend fell to the ground, and without a moment's hesitation, he ran over to see if the noble warrior was still okay. Joshua Horace Fenril grimaced painfully as he saw his best friend's torso blown completely open.

"………Tijl…?" he croaked. "…Can you say anything? Tijl, are you okay?"

"…Ouch," muttered Tijl painfully. Joshua couldn't help but smile, even as tears came to his crystal eyes.

"…You… you… you got… hit real bad, didn't you?" he muttered. Tijl hissed in pain as his body slowly registered the attack, and the golden-umber Ctarl gazed up at his human friend in pain and happiness.

"……Tell it to me straight, Josh," he whispered faintly. "Am I…… am I gonna die?" Joshua shivered, his tears mixing in with Tijl's blood-stained fur, and his hands went to the hands of his friend in support.

"…Yeah," he whispered softly, "you're gonna die." Tijl smiled faintly, and tightened his grip on Joshua's hand.

"…Thanks, man," he whispered hoarsely. "…I… could always count on… you being… honest with me……" The nearly-dead Ctarl-Ctarl smiled again, and slowly closed his eyes to accept death. He took one last breath, and uttered a final phrase before dying.

"…It was nice," he muttered, "while it lasted."

In a rage, Joshua lashed out and shattered the skull of the nearest pirate. Gazing down at the dead remains of his closest friend, he swore oath after bloody oath to avenge such a horrible loss. The rage and anger of Joshua Fenril rarely came out, but when it did, no living creature could have survived such a terrible storm. Alone, Joshua leaped into the thickest part of the enemy, and even though they were armed and he was not, he fought very bravely.

Joshua first slammed the heads of two nearby pirates together, shattering their skulls and creating a powerful crunching sound. Another pirate received a boot in the guts, and an elbow on the head, before dying; two more were killed simply by the sheer power of Joshua's fist meeting their faces, and another met his end when Joshua rammed his fist into its ribcage, shattering bone and puncturing the heart.

Hilda saw Joshua's terrible state of rage, and even though he had things under control, she desperately wanted to help. But she was engaged in a duel of her own, with the two-strongest pirates of the bunch and Blackrose. Already she was fighting the two by herself, in a hand-to-hand war that would have spelled doom for anybody else. All those years training under Fenrir finally came to fruition, and even the strongest of all pirates could not stand up to Hilda's fighting skills.

With one single chop to the Adam's Apple, Hilda permanently disabled one of the brutish pirates, and received a semi-powerful blow in the stomach before digging her knee into the gut of the second, then her foot, then her hands, and finally a knife she had found. In only seven seconds, the most powerful of all the pirates had been laid to waste.

Blackrose snarled out viciously, but Hilda only smiled as she regarded the obtuse man. He was armed with a cutlass, but there was not much he could do against one so well-trained. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ground nearby, and Hilda gasped in pain as she saw Felona flying across the air, halfway cackling and halfway screaming. The distraction was enough for Blackrose, who took this split second to run forward with all his might.

By the time she saw him coming, Hilda was too paralyzed with fear and horror (from seeing her friend being blown to smithereens) to avoid Blackrose's charge. The maniacal pirate screamed out at her, and with a mighty swing, he chopped at her face with his cutlass.

A flood of pain washed over Hilda, and a scream, so loud and uncontrolled that even the heavens shattered, pierced the air. Hilda instantly slapped her palm over her slashed face, roaring out in unquenchable agony over the pain. The wicked pirate had nearly cut her face in two with that blow! Hilda almost fell to the floor because of the pain, and copious amounts of blood and ooze began squirting out of her right eye.

The pirate cackled as Hilda screamed, but his laughter was drowned out by the shrieking emitted by the wounded woman. Slowly, very slowly, Hilda pulled her hand away from her face, staring at it through one eye. From the tips of her fingers to her wrist, her hand was completely soaked in blood. Hilda snarled, the pain on her face excruciating at best, and roared out at the pirate in something far worse than demonic rage.

"You cut my eye!!!!" she snarled. "You cut my eye, you sick freak!!!!" Hilda cursed at the pirate so violently that his smile faded, and his face became white with fear. Hilda grabbed hold of the knife she had found, and stared at the pirate with murderous rage as she ran towards him.

"You will pay for that!!" she screamed. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a scar for a scar!!!!" With one mighty swing, Hilda slashed at Blackrose's throat, instantly creating a new cistern of blood and death. The pirate stood and gazed emptily at the woman that had ended his life, and fell face-forward to the ground, more dead than a nail on a coffin.

The blood-soaked Hilda, half her face drenched in red, stood gasping for air as she hovered over the body of her enemy. Her hands quivered from weakness, and the knife was dropped as Hilda's strength began to fade. The right side of her face felt like a flaming knife of torture was digging into it, and her stomach was sorely tempted to vomit. Shivering from the dangerous loss of blood, Hilda slowly craned her head over to the left, which was the only place she could see from.

Her brother, looking no better than her, was clutching his side weakly. He was still standing, fortunately, but it looked as if he was the only survivor. Hilda let a hot tear fall from her left eye as she saw the remains of Tijl laying there on the ground, and another fell when she saw a blasted Felona laying motionless. She gazed back up to Joshua, who was also out of breath.

Slowly, she grinned at her brother, and raised her hand. Her thumb stretched out in weak victory, and Joshua mimed the thumbs-up as he gazed at his twin sister. The battle was over, and technically, Hilda and her friends had won, but…… the casualties were so disgusting and the victory so hollow that it was sickening. Hilda and Joshua, fittingly enough, were the only survivors.

Hilda smiled at her brother, half-blind, and slowly let the darkness wash over her eye as she fell to the ground in a weak, unresponsive heap. The last thing she saw before passing out was a blue sky and a cloud that looked like a fish.


	13. The Struggle

Author's note: Now it's time to reveal how I got some of the names for the characters. **Felona** is pretty obvious--she's a cat-like creature, after all. **Tijl** (which I think is pronounced teej-ill) is not a name I made up; I named him after the Flemish hero, Tijl Uelenspiegel, who "used his quick wit and tricks to outwit his people's oppressors, the Spanish overlords who had executed his family. An expert gunner and hand-to-hand fighter, when the Belgian people rebelled, Tijl became their leader". **Fenril** is derived from Fenrir, the wolf son of Loki (Fenrir was so ferocious that he was able to kill Odin, the chief Norse god. I figured Hilda's just as deadly). **Joshua's** is the most significant name of them all. In Hebrew, _Joshua_ and _Jesus_ mean the exact same thing: "The Lord saves". You'll find out why I gave him that name in this very chapter.

Chapter Thirteen: The Struggle

"Hilda!"

Despite his own grievous injuries, Joshua rushed towards his fallen sister at top speed. His entire body was in pain: his arms and legs were burned from fighting so much, his chest and abdomen were marred with slashes and cuts, and a deep gash in his side squirted dangerous amounts of blood out every so often. He had other "minor" bruises and scratches as well, but Joshua ignored them all as he ran towards his sister.

"Hilda! Hilda, wake up! Wake up Hilda!" Joshua grabbed his sister's bleeding face, cradling it gently as he tried to wake her up. "Hilda, come on! Stay with me, Hilda! Come on!!" He panicked as she remained still, and thought for one ghastly moment that she had already died. Her face twitched suddenly, and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Careful fingers felt her weak pulse, and cautious hands lifted her unresponsive body up onto his shoulders. Instantly, a new fountain of blood spurted onto his shoulder, and he had to set her down and apply a tight bandage to her face so she wouldn't lose any more blood. Joshua groaned as he lifted Hilda up on his shoulders again, but his wounds were the least of his worries. If he could just get Hilda to a hospital……

_Hilda… we've grown up together… I can't remember a time when you weren't in my life. For twenty-three years, we've survived everything together--everything! When mom and dad died, we were together! When we survived that Hell of an orphanage, we were together! When we befriended Tijl and Felona, and learned under Master Fenrir, we were together! We went to school together, we lived through life, and we even went to prom together!_

Oh, Hilda, please hang on a little more! I can't stand the thought of you dying on me! I don't know what I'd do if you left this world… I don't even want to think about that! You, Hilda, you have been my whole life! You're more than just my sister and my twin… it's like you're my soulmate!

I know we've had hard times before. After we all graduated, I thought our life couldn't get worse. For five years, we scraped along dark streets of poverty and waste, but because of our bond, we managed to get through it all. This pirate attack was horrible as well, and I envy your loss of vision a little as I think back to how our friends and classmates were slaughtered. I nearly died as I saw Tijl leave us, and dear sweet Felona… Oh, that was a blow that I will never recover from. But, I still have you, and together, we'll go through this, just like we went through everything else.

Hilda, don't die on me. We've grown up together, so I just want to make sure that… well, that we grow old together.

Joshua almost collapsed as he carried his sister into the city. Civilians screamed as they saw him drag himself and a woman with a bloody face across the streets, and an ambulance was rushed in to help them along. While the two wounded Fenrils waited, Joshua tried to wake Hilda up one more time, while his own wounds were being treated by a physician who had been walking the streets.

The ambulance arrived five minutes later, and both Joshua and Hilda were strapped into life support. The vehicle burned off towards the nearest hospital, the vital signs of both Fenrils looking grim. Joshua, the only one conscious, merely watched his sister as her wound was treated and the medical operators shouted orders.

Time chaotically ran forward as the ambulance stopped at the hospital. The twins were pushed straight into the intensive care ward, where doctors and nurses began barking orders that neither of them understood.

"Sir! Sir! Can you tell us your name?"

"Joshua Horace Fenril. This is my sister, Hilda Maye Fenril."

"And can you tell us what happened, sir?"

"…We were attacked by the Blackrose pirates," he mumbled. "We fought back, which might not have been a good idea. As far as I know, we're the only survivors…" His vision grew dizzy as he lost more blood, but all the time his thoughts were on Hilda, and Hilda alone. Suddenly, en route between the doors and the operating rooms, Hilda snapped out of her brief coma.

"Ugh, ow!!! What…"

"Hilda, you're awake…!" said Joshua in a loud whisper. He sat up to get a better look, but groaned out as his wounds stabbed at him again. Hilda moaned out in pain, the right side of her face singeing terribly.

"What's…?"

"Ma'am, you're in a hospital!" said a doctor. "We're taking you to intensive care! You're going to need an operation for your eye, and your brother needs to recover some blood."

"Take mine," offered Hilda, waving her hand weakly. "We're the same type…"

"No can do, you've lost enough as it is." Hilda snarled as powerfully as she could, and tried to sit up despite her weakness.

"Screw that," she mumbled. "Just take my blood, already. I don't mind."

"Hilda! Doctor, ignore her and take my blood!"

"This is insane," mumbled the doctor as he wheeled the two to the operating room. "You must be pretty close family."

"You have no idea," smiled Joshua. He looked over at his sister and grasped hold of her hand, which she squeezed back. The two never let go, even as they were transported into the operating room. They were instantly strapped to two beds, and wires and pads and bandages and a hundred other bizarre contraptions were hooked up to their bodies.

Joshua and Hilda drowned out the doctors' shouting and the semi-painful barrage of medical assistance they were being subjected to. They merely looked at each other, their hands forever clasped in a bond as powerful as love itself.

"Ma'am? Ma'am?" Hilda looked up, gazing at the doctor hovering over her. "I asked you if you would like a mechanical eye to replace the old one. You'll still have a scar, but at least you'll be able to see." Hilda frowned, and looked at the brother she had lived with for 23 straight years.

"…We can't afford a mechanical eye," she said, her only operable eye still looking at Joshua. "Just sew it up, doc. I only need one eye, anyway."

"Will do," sighed the doctor. "You realize, of course, that this operation cannot be reversed."

"Yeah, yeah," shrugged Hilda. "Ehh, I'll probably look like a freak anyway, what with a machine for an eye and a big scar on my face. Just sew it up and I'll be fine. It's Joshua you should worry about." The long-haired muscular man smiled warmly at his sister's words, and held her hand all the tighter. The doctor conformed to Hilda's wishes and started the operation procedure.

As the beeping sound that emitted from some distant machine slowed, a plastic breathing mask covered Hilda's mouth. She still smiled at her brother, even as the anesthetics began to take over her mind.

"…Don't worry about it, Hilda," whispered Joshua faintly. Hilda's smile became more beautiful than an angel's, even though she was still in pain. "Don't worry about it," he repeated. "Everything will be fine, Hilda. Don't worry about a thing. It'll all be okay. I love you, Hilda, so… don't worry, okay?" He smiled, his crystal eyes gazing into her single topaz one, and squeezed her hand tighter. Hilda slowly closed her eyes…

Suddenly, the constant beeping sound faded, and an empty green line and a constant ringing sound took its place. Hilda's single eye flew open in horror despite the sedative, and tears flew out of her eyes as she saw her brother's grip slowly weaken. His hand fell limp, and slipped out of Hilda's as the life of Joshua slowly left him.

Hilda's only good eye spewed out tears, and horror and terror and fear and pain shattered her mind as her brother died right in front of her, then all became dark as the anesthetic finally took control of her mind.


	14. The Void

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This chapter is dedicated to all those authors who, like me, have lost stories in the recent "mishaps" at www.fanfiction.net. Rise up in just anger, my friends, for if it weren't for the incompetence of the people who ran that site, this story would have been finished and uploaded long ago--but now I must rewrite these last two chapters. RAGE!!!! Here's to hoping that they excel their previous incarnations.

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Chapter Fourteen: The Void

"…fifteen minutes more. Then we'll see."

"Hm. Well, what should we do until then?"

"Her stats seem fine. She'll be okay for a little while. You up for some lunch?"

"Yeah. I just feel bad leaving her here. You think she'll wake up?"

"Dunno. Came in here pretty cut up and--oh?"

"Huh? Oh! She's waking up!!"

Hilda May Fenril squinted, the lid of her eye opening like a rusted hinge that refused to budge. Slowly, said hinge creaked open, but the only thing waiting on the other side was a really big blur. Two blob-like creatures were standing over her, examining parts of her body and taking great care with her face. She tried to groan in pain and confusion, but this only caused her to lose her vision more. Thankfully, her hearing had not left her.

"Hello? Helloooooo? Miss Fenril? Are you awake yet?" Hilda moved her mouth in an effort to curse, but found that even this skill had left her. Thankfully, the blurs in front of her cleared up--however slow it took. By the time her eye could focus reasonably well, the people in front of her were already at work doing…

_What are they doing? Where am I?_

AH! Joshua!!!!!!!

"Huuuhmmaaaii…?"

"Hm, what's that?" mumbled the masculine member of the two. He leaned forward to hear better, and Hilda felt tempted to either belt out a nasty word, or else bite the man's ear off. Technically, she should have been more grateful, but now she was hardly in the mood for pleasantries.

"Whu ham hi?" she grumbled again. Her esophagus felt exceptionally cracked and dried, and she pointed to a nearby glass of water. The doctors understood her needs--her throat was just too dry to talk--and so gave her the cup. The water was warm, but at least it did the trick, and Hilda's voice returned with most of her vision.

She noticed that she could only see out of one eye.

"…Where am I?" she whispered in a weak voice. The people in front of her, two doctors--one male and one female--pursed their mouths as they examined her and her charts.

"You're in Rhiptoglossa Hospital, on the planet of the same name," reported the male doctor. "You've been asleep from the operation for two days now."

"Operation?" muttered Hilda. "What operation?"

"The one we had to perform on your eye," pointed the doctor. "What, you don't remember? You came in here with half your face all cut up, and only by the miracle of modern medicine were we able to sew you up and prevent any further blood loss." Hilda sneered and opted to keep her only operable eye shut. A groan came out of her as she remembered everything.

"…Right…" She snarled, and tilted her head over to the left, the only side she could see out of anymore, and asked the question that she had been dreading. "…Where's Joshua?" The doctor paused, and pursed his lips in thought.

"She must mean the gentleman that came in with her," said the woman doctor, and a flaming hope arose in Hilda's heart as she heard those words. It sounded like there was a possibility that he was still alive!!

"Yeah! Where is he?! Have you seen him??" But the doctors, who were about as upbeat as a tomb, both gave her solemn looks and shook their heads.

"…I'm sorry, Miss Fenril, but…… your brother is… no longer with us."

Hilda wept.

"He seems to have passed away from all the wounds he received prior to arriving here," continued the doctor, oblivious to the fact that the words sailed right through Hilda's frightened ears. She stared straight at the wall like one catatonic, not even moving her hand to wipe the tears falling out of her eye.

"I'm sorry, miss…" said the doctor gently, placing a hand on her arm. "There wasn't anything we could do to save him. His wounds were just too grievous…"

"…That's okay," muttered Hilda weakly. She smiled, an incredibly empty smile, and slowly sat up despite her groaning muscles. "That's okay," she repeated, "it's not your fault. Joshua said that everything would be okay, and to not worry about him, and that he loved me, and everything would be all right, so… don't worry. It'll be okay…" She kept her smile, and her empty stare, and sniffled as she tried hugging her knees to her chest.

"If there's anything we can do for you…" offered the doctors. Hilda held out her quivering hand and asked for one object.

"Mirror."

"Excuse me?"

"I need a mirror. To see my face." The doctor let out a sigh, and slowly consented to her request. He gave Hilda the mirror, and slowly helped unwrap the bandages he had wound over her face two days earlier. Hilda calmly held the mirror up so she could see her scar, and instead of the expected scream, or sob, she chuckled emptily, and touched the glass with her finger.

"Ohhh… what a mess…" She grinned, as hollow a grin as anyone had ever made, and gently laid the mirror down. Her life had already been marred by bad luck; breaking the glass and adding seven more years wouldn't make a difference.

"Miss…?"

"So, pirates did this to me, eh?" smiled Hilda, ignoring the doctors. They had no idea how she got her injuries, of course, so they could just watch and speculate. "Well, I'll make sure they pay for that. But I'm gonna need something else before I go, doc."

"Right, like a few more day's rest in bed!" insisted the female. "You're still a little weak from the blood loss! If you tried to get up now--"

"Do you think you could stop me?" asked Hilda emotionlessly. The hollow-topaz eye she used to stare at the doctor melted away any chances of superiority, and the physician mutely said No. "And you?" she asked of the male.

"I have sedatives. If need be--"

"I'd kill you if you so much as touched a needle," said Hilda, her voice no more threatening than a lamb. The doctor swallowed, but was not so brave as to call her bluff. "Good--so we understand each other. Now… before I leave here, I need a few things: my clothes, any possessions I might have been carrying, anything of my brother's, and an eye patch."

"But, why--"

"Or do you want me walking the streets looking like this?" said Hilda, making sure that her entire face was visible. The scar was ghastly at best, and it made her look several times tougher and more intimidating than normal. The doctors quietly shook their heads, and fished around in their drawers for a suitable cloth to hide Hilda's scar. They pulled out a dark-maroon patch, and Hilda took it into her own possession. She winced in pain as the cloth brushed up against her scar, but endured every scorching moment of it as she wound the object around her head. A second look in the mirror provided more satisfactory results.

"Good. And my clothes." The doctors obeyed Hilda's orders, not doubting for a second that she would carry out her threats if they tried to stop her. In the span of twenty minutes, Hilda had dressed as best she could, considering her old outfit was splashed with several permanent bloodstains, and without even a word of thanks, she left the doctors in that room and exited the hospital. Anyone that stood in her way received a silent glare from her eye, and that empty look alone was enough to drive them away.

From the waist up, Hilda was catatonic. She was headed to a bar first for a drink, then she would try to find her ship so she could escape that horrible world. As she walked down the streets, she brushed past many people, most of them enraged that the "half-blind freak" wasn't paying attention to what was in front of her. Hilda desperately wanted to curse, but her eye and the tears still running down from it spoke volumes enough.

The bar itself was seedy, smoky, crowded, and filthy--and it matched Hilda's despondent heart perfectly. Without a word, she shuffled to the tender, and ordered the strongest and tallest bottle of whiskey they had. She never said a single word while in that hole of an establishment, except to indicate which type of poison she picked.

Hilda downed three shots of powerful liquor in that very bar, which was enough to make the keeper raise her thin eyebrow in a query.

"Dear, you shouldn't drink so much in one sitting," said the barmaid. Hilda let her golden eye look into the face of the tender, but her own façade remained downtrodden. The tender, in her opinion, was far too beautiful and classy to be milling around in a mucky slough like this place.

But it was perfect for Hilda.

"…All right," sighed the barmaid, wiping the counter aimlessly. "Have it your way. But don't come complaining to me if you have a headache the size of Hayfong." Hilda shrugged, and paid her drink more homage before placing her weary head on the bar. The tender kindly cleaned around her head, and even tried to shake her so she wouldn't pass out.

Hilda slowly stood out of her stool, corked the bottle of whiskey, and waved lazily at the tender. She stopped Hilda momentarily, and handed the one-eyed woman a card.

"I know this is unusual for a stranger," she began, "but you've intrigued me. You're not like anyone else I've ever seen before, and I don't mean that eye patch you have on. Maybe we can meet again, in more… private chambers?" The woman, who must've been Hilda's senior by about six years, smiled and winked as she handed her card over to her. The one-eyed outlaw took it mechanically, and left without ever looking back--in more ways than one.

Thankfully, _Horace_--a painful reminder of what she had lost on that horrible planet--was still alive and kicking, and after a few false starts and quiet curse words, Hilda was able to start her vessel and launch it away from the despicable world. With a bottle of whiskey sleeping in her lap and darkness clouding her mind and heart, Hilda aimed her beloved vessel towards the only home she ever knew.

"Joshua, I'm home…"

Hilda stood in the doorway, looking into the filthy maw of her now-vacant apartment room. The call that went out to her ghost of a brother came back unanswered. Even now, with her voice as dark and gloomy as it was, Joshua would normally have answered with a smile and a hug, and a kiss if he was in an especially good mood. But no warm embrace did Hilda receive, and the cold chill she received in its stead sent a horrible shiver up her entire body.

Slowly, she placed the quarter-empty bottle of hard liquor on the kitchen table, her movements dominated only by her limbs and not her numbed mind. Though her left eye was completely healthy, she could barely see because of the depressing gloss that covered it. Every movement she made was dedicated to some unknown task that had yet to be done; Hilda's life had been sucked right out of her in the span of three days, and now only an empty shell of a soul was left in its stead.

This empty soul, the Hot Ice whose embers had turned to ash and whose frost had melted, slowly sauntered over to a shredded couch, and she sat down on the ratty material in a tired slump. She took in a deep breath, and leaned back just slightly so she could suck some kind of comfort out of the furniture.

And then, Hilda screamed.


	15. The Discovery

Author's note: Rhiptoglossa is the scientific name of a group of Old World creatures known as chameleons. I figures this name was perfect for the planet where Hilda's life changed forever. And now, the final chapter… I hope everybody enjoyed this, despite all the liberties I obviously had to take. How accurate do you think this story was? Comments? Laments? Praises? Scorns? Regrets?

Chapter Fifteen: The Discovery

One year passed, which would make Hilda twenty-four years old.

And in that single year, Hilda had changed so much that she was now an entirely different person. To compare the Hilda of the present-day with the Hilda of yesteryear would be like comparing apples and rocks, so great was the transformation she underwent.

The Hilda of former times was dead and gone for good, having finally been buried under so much ash and snow. This Hilda, the one living now, was a cold and emotionless shell of what was once a hope-filled young woman. But the woman's hopes had been dashed to bits on the jagged rocks of cruel fate, so much so that there was nothing left to even recover. Hilda was indeed the Hot Ice--both consumed with burning hate, yet cold and indifferent to all the world.

Hilda hardly ever smiled, and even if she did, it was usually out of contempt. Nowadays, she would give her famous flaming-cold glares to every person she met, and when her topaz eye failed to get the point across, her rough and bitter voice would do the job. She was a demoness and a steel golem, but beneath the shields she had set up, Hilda was screaming.

The Hot Ice had somehow managed to live in the year that passed. She was now dedicating all her time and fortune to being an outlaw/mercenary, and had since gained something of an infamous reputation. Her time spent in the trade business allowed her to possess skills far above the average merc, and her years spent training under Fenrir made her one of the toughest customers out there. Of course, Hilda's invulnerability was augmented even more when one considered the horror and depression going on inside of her.

Her old life--indeed, her life in general--had been sucked away from her, and now the galaxy had this empty remnant to enjoy. In the year that had passed, Hilda made more enemies than friends, but only because fate had handed her those kinds of cards. Her past life had been hellish enough; adding more grief now wouldn't hurt her.

Of the pirates she made a bitter enemy, for it was through their interventions where she received the most pain. But they were not the only ones out there: wherever Hilda went, she was either feared or respected, famous or infamous, revered or reviled, Hot or Cold. In a sense, she was the perfect outlaw; her imperfections _made_ her perfect.

In time, Hilda's infamy became more of a help than a hindrance, for it was often a common sight to see somebody approach her with a job opportunity. Case in point: one day, Hilda was relaxing quietly in a bar. She had just hunted down a semi-famous criminal and was celebrating her victory by intoxication, when a rather unexpected herald came into her life……

"Beer."

The barmaid smiled, and gave Hilda a drink usually reserved for men. It had only been a year since the two ladies saw each other, and in that time, they had both received rather ill fortunes. Hilda's was the more depressing and gritty; the barmaid, a beautiful dark-haired woman named Riona, had been forced to leave Rhiptoglossa due to another one of their famous rebellions/insurrections. Since then, the two had more or less formed an acquaintanceship, with the tender being the more conversational.

"I hope you have a DD," warned Riona, passing Hilda the beer. The Hot Ice, who could care less whether her vehicle crashed due to her intoxication, simply paid her fine and swallowed the alcohol. Riona sighed and chastised herself for ever caring. God forbid Hilda actually listen to her!

Just as easily as the wind blew in from the cracks, there came a visitor to the tavern. Riona, who had been occupied with her "friend" up until then, raised her eyebrow and smiled at the stranger. He was very good-looking in her eyes: tall, very well-defined, with a long braid of hair tied up in a ponytail. His face was scarred slightly, and his eyes seemed to be as red as the heavy coat he wore. The man sat down next to Hilda, and ordered wine.

"Sure thing, hon," smiled Riona, and she went to retrieve his drink. The man in red leaned on the bar slightly, and turned to look at the tough woman next to him.

"……I know you," he said suddenly, and she turned her head slightly to look at him. "You're the one they call the 'Hot Ice', am I right?"

"…What if I am?" asked Hilda, and the man chuckled lightly.

"Just asking. The name's Ronald McDougal." He stuck his hand out, but Hilda rudely stayed still as she swallowed more of her beer. He shrugged and decided to stop beating around the bush. "…Right. Anyway, this may sound bizarre coming from a complete stranger, but how would you like to take a job opportunity?"

"I'm listening," said Hilda carelessly. McDougal smiled joylessly.

"Listen… your name _is_ Hilda, right?"

"Yeah."

"I thought so," he said. "I recognized you the moment I came in. Unmistakable. Your reputation precedes you, Hilda. It's an honor." She snorted, and gave him a dirty look before finishing her beer.

"Get to the point."

"In time," he assured her. "See, I knew who you were because words gets around here fast. You're a famous woman, Hilda, and a client of mine has had their eye on you for some time now, as have I, though you don't know it."

"The point?" she emphasized. McDougal coughed and sipped at his wine.

"Right, right… Anyway, my client has asked me to offer you a job--or, to be more precise, a partnership."

"Go on."

"Right. Anyway, there's a… uh, a very big 'operation' that needs to be pulled, and… well, ah…"

"Sorry, pal," sniffed Hilda. "That's not exactly my forte. Why don't you try somebody else?" McDougal grunted, and leaned close to hiss something in her ear.

"(Because it has to do with the Galactic Leyline!)" Hilda's senses instantly flared, and she nearly bolted around to demand where he heard such a thing, how much he knew, and who his "client" was. Her tipsy disposition prevented her from acting out her desires, so she merely inhaled sharply.

Of course, she _knew_ what the Galactic Leyline was--who didn't? Ever since the day she learned how to understand speech, she had known about a mysterious area of space called the "Galactic Leyline", but other than the fairytales told to her by Tijl and Felona, there was little else she knew.

_The Galactic Leyline is a mysterious place, located well beyond the reach of any ordinary vessel,_ Tijl had told her. _Nobody knows where it is, but if anybody ever finds it, then… Well, I don't know what would happen, but my guess would be that it'd be something incredible!!_

Hilda had a right to be interested.

"(What do you know about the Galactic Leyline?)" she muttered. Both Hilda and Ron kept their voices down, for if anybody overheard them in that bar, there would doubtless be a ruckus. They weren't the only outlaws looking for the fabled Leyline, after all…

"…Well, now that I've caught your attention, maybe we can actually have a civilized conversation?" smiled Ron. Hilda snorted, but ignored his comment. "Anyway," he continued, "my client wants you to help me… acquire a certain ship."

"Go on…"

"Right. Well, to say that this ship needs to be acquired may not be the correct wording--more like… erm… 'destroyed'…"

"I'm intrigued," smiled Hilda. "Did the makers of this ship get on your client's bad side?"

"…You… could say that…" muttered Ron. "…It's an XGP class, if you're wondering." Hilda's eyebrows raised in genuine surprise, and she even smiled.

"Oh. Well, that makes sense. I thought nobody made those anymore."

"They _shouldn't_," stated Ron, "but, well, somebody did anyway. Now you can assume the rest." Hilda smiled smugly, and nodded her head. XGP-type vessels had been illegal to make for the past fifteen years, ever since a fluke in one model caused the violent death of the ruler of Nilbaal. There were still plenty of them to go around--after all, they had been mass-produced before the accident occurred--but finding new models was almost impossible. Hilda could understand where McDougal was going with this, but she didn't think that any of this really was for her.

"…Yeah… But it doesn't sound too major. I mean, I know XGPs are illegal, but I don't see why you need me to help you out." Ron McDougal sighed, and lowered his voice a little more to ensure his secrecy.

"What I'm about to tell you is classified information," he began. "Once you hear this, you either have to join up or else die. Are you sure you want to know?"

"I guess," she shrugged. He grunted, but decided to let her know everything despite the fact that he still didn't trust her.

"All right. But don't say I didn't warn you."

A pause.

"…This XGP is equipped with a very advanced sub-ether drive," he began. "It's quite possibly the fastest and most advanced ship in the galaxy. But there's something else. It alone has the ability to locate and enter the Galactic Leyline; the 'maiden' is completely compatible with it."

Now that word--maiden--was not completely foreign to Hilda. Felona had told her that, like all treasures, the Galactic Leyline operated with a key, and the only key known to unlock that kind of door was the elusive and enigmatic "maiden". Nobody knew what this "maiden" was, or even how it would work, so much speculation was floating around. Hilda quietly pursed her lips, as she realized that every word McDougal spoke was risky and even dangerous.

"…I see," was all she said. "All right, so I think I know what's going on. You need me to help you get rid of this XGP so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, am I right?"

"You are," he replied. "I'm glad you understand the situation, Hilda. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must either make preparations for your cooperation or your death. Don't take this the wrong way, but orders are orders." McDougal slowly fingered a blaster he had been carrying, but Hilda gave him a smile that pushed all doubts away.

"Take it easy, cowboy. I never said I would refuse. Sure, I'll take the job. I might even like it."

__

Yeah right, she snorted to herself. _This opportunity is only too perfect. I'll sign on, all right, but I won't have any intention of destroying that ship. I'll… just "borrow" it for a little while… and maybe then, I'll…_

_"The Galactic Leyline has the ability to grant any desires," Tijl had said. "No matter what your dreams are, no matter how preposterous your wish, no matter how high your ambition is, the Leyline can grant it all, and more. It has the power to fulfill your darkest needs: riches, fame, power, bringing back lost loved ones…"_

Bringing back lost loved ones… Hilda smiled at the though as she shook McDougal's hand. Sure she would go with him, and play along with his mission. But like most of her encounters with other people, this would also end up with somebody's back being stabbed, or some poor fool being manipulated. Hilda specialized in double-crossing other people; it was one of the reasons she had lasted longer than her competition.

But she had no intention of destroying the XGP--no, Hilda would most likely steal it for herself, and use it to get to the Leyline, where her darkest dreams would finally come to reality…

__

A normal life, peaceful and calm, surrounded by the people that mean the most to me…

Lost loved ones…

Tijl…

Felona…

……Joshua……

I'm so close… so very close…

Just a few more weary days and then…

I'm so close…

And that's how it was.

-----

__

Some bright morning when this life is over, I'll fly away!

To that home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away!

I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away! (In the morning!)

When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away!

When the shadows of this life have gone, I'll fly away!

Like a bird from these prison walls I'll fly, I'll fly away!

I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away! (In the morning!)

When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away!

Oh how glad and happy when we meet, I'll fly away!

No more cold iron shackles on my feet, I'll fly away!

I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away! (In the morning!)

When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away!

I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away! (In the morning!)

When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away!

Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away!

To a land where joys will never end, I'll fly away!

I'll fly away, oh glory, I'll fly away! (In the morning!)

When I die, hallelujah by and by, I'll fly away!

I'll fly away!

-----

"Hot Ice" Hilda May Fenril blinked, the uncontrollable perspiration streaking down her face. Below her, she felt the infuriating intensity of heat and flames and maybe Hell itself; above her, mocking the outlaw like a bully, was space and freedom and life. She sighed, and slowly realized that this was it. This… really… _was_ the end…

"…So, there's really nothing they can do…"

And then, she smiled.

Her life had just flashed before her eyes.

"You still read me, Gene?" spoke Hilda into her comm. Of course, way out here, so close to death, and so far away from life, who could hope to hear her? No, Hilda knew that the young Gene Starwind couldn't hear her audibly, but he didn't need to. She knew that, despite the obvious interference, he could easily understand her _mentally_. Slowly, as Hilda clung tightly to the foot of the squirming Tao Mistress, she let out a grin of freedom and satisfaction, and prepared to face her fate like a true warrior. She was ready to fly.

"Just remember, an outlaw never goes down easily."

**__**

The End

__

This story is dedicated to Tabitha Jay Burton, who is like the big sister I never had.


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